Twilight
by Double.T.W.S
Summary: What happens when something is broken? Can it be repaired? Was it so simple? I asked myself the question numerous times in the abyss of four black walls. Now as I was granted my freedom, at the cost of my humanity, will humanity take the monster back? The biggest question I wished answered: "Is our fate being weaved by the gods themselves? Or are they determined by our actions?"
1. Chapter 1

**Hello fellow readers and fanfiction writers, recently I've been held up by various studies and projects, resulting in a lack of time and effort for my first published work. It is a shame that I could no longer find the drive nor thrill to carry on my story, however, the time I have free have been cultivated into several new stories that have come to me naturally as a result of daydreaming. I have taken the time to learn my mistakes and introduced a new form of writing in my style, potentially I am a heavily emphasised exposition writer, fair warning has been given.**

 **While my story might no appeal to some of the audience since I preferably lean towards the darker theme of things, I hope you enjoy and review. It matters not if you comment negatively,I will accept whatever reviews you have to offer and will learn from my mistakes.**

 **Disclaimer: I own neither Fairy Tail or Naruto. That has already been established.**

* * *

 **Consequences**

What governs the laws of good and evil?

From birth till death, it is impossible for an individual no matter how vile or pure to not have a glimpse of the others side, one cannot have balance without the other. That is what makes us human. The capability for love and hatred spans eons and still continues to sate the curiosity of researchers, affecting the 'heart and will', metaphorically speaking.

In a world filled with as much adventure and joy, it is likewise filled with destruction and anger, it just so happens that many who do not see or experience this choose not to believe so. In a world where adventure and suspense are in abundance, childish and innocent minds dream to linger within these so-called adventures of heroic tales. To bask in the glory foretold by the accomplishments of great heroes.

Just how many have fallen to such an unforgiving mindset, ignorant of the ways of the world?

In the world of earth land, where an energy source contained within the chosen few are gifted with the capabilities to wield the energy produced by an unknown source in the world, some call it Nature's gift. Other's call it humanity's spirit. Nowadays, it is commonly called Magic. Researchers have cited that humanity in the past has been able to adapt and evolved with the capability to absorb this energy source, thus creating a connection with the spiritual flow of nature, and converting it into the physical embodiment of that energy, creating what is known as Magic.

As a constant to keeping the balance of everything, likewise with the balance of good and evil, the strength bestowed upon the individuals are few in numbers, labelling them superhuman in comparison to the normal civilians. Those gifted are unique in their own respective terms, it is said that Magic is based on the imagination and creativity of the individual, using one's ingenuity to create new ways.

 _They are called Wizards._

In proportion to the number of wizards, the variety of magic is equal in amount, each possessing a field of their types. Therefore, they are two main classifications of magic, Castor, and Holder magic. Caster Magic is magic that is expelled from within the body itself, using spells that directly affect the body, while Holder Magic utilizes an external source as oppose to using the body.

As everyone and anything is created, rules govern their existence, similarly to how the rules of life and death occur within the universe. Many choose to believe that our fate has been predetermined before our very existence has been confirmed and that our destiny or path has been set for us to follow, but as a testament to humanity's spirit, we desire to be free. We desire to break the rules that cage us. And finally, we desire to understand.

And thus comes to the beginning of our story, starting with a small, honest soul, questioning the meaning of life and death, the possibility of cheating death. The possibility of reviving a loved one.

 _And breaking the rules governing this territory._

 **XxX**

Within the realm of earth land, there were several countries surrounding the more populated Fiore, due to great conflict consuming the other countries, only a few remained. The Land of Minstrel, once a thriving port hub that centred itself as the primary tourist attraction in earth land, consumed in the flames of war when it became the centre ground for conflicts between countries.

United in their stand to conquer the remaining lands to unify them under one flag, the Land of Desierto and Bellum forged an alliance treaty and attempted to conquer Bosco, Stella, and Joya. Having the harshest weather conditions and the lack of abundant food source, they strive through war to achieve their demands after receiving no aid whatsoever from neighbouring countries.

Their selfish whims drove two countries population to near extinction, the desert sands now play host to the corpses of war victims, consuming their bones, forever scattering them through the sands of time. That was not to say that they weren't successful, the land of Joya was completely overwhelmed and destroyed under the combined effort of both invading countries and being the centre of the conflicts.

Stella had suffered as well an overwhelming defeat and had it not been for their allies, they would have been lost in the final desperate attempt by the invading enemies, meanwhile, Bosco has suffered the least of damages but with 50% of their population killed in the crossfire and attacks, they were getting desperate.

Thus in their last attempt to halt the approaching enemy forces from making their final attempt, they resorted to the power of science as opposed to using the gift of magic. They needed something powerful, something so destructive and fast that it would wipe out the enemy forces clear off the grid, they needed a **weapon**.

In their futile attempts to create one, a man by the name of Mayuri Kurotsuchi, a worldwide acclaimed scientist specialising in the fields of magic transferring. He had discovered that it was possible for magic to be transferred to inanimate objects and also to humans, with the critical condition that the innate magic was similar to the one transferred. He helped fostered the creation of Lacrima and magic staves with the capabilities to absorb and release magic, a breakthrough of his time.

Yet, only his closest confidents and associates were aware of the fact that Mayuri was a little mad in the head, often muttering to himself and talking to the air as if someone or something, in particular, was listening. The days grew on as his accomplishments soared, and with the recent news of war, the government of Bosco had given the green light for Mayuri to dwell into a forbidden topic.

 _Human weapons._

Children barely the age of 8 were kidnapped from their already distressed families and placed into containment pods where they were monitored and experimented like rats, the scientists in charge of the experiment, labelled as Project D, lacked the morality found common in modern society. Still, they could not be faulted, their countrymen were dying and they held the responsibility to minimise the casualties at all cost, they were aware of their doings and still carried on with steeled resolve.

In all honesty, people should have praised them for dwelling into the darkness of humanity in order to save a thousand lives, all save for one person. The man who orchestrate the entire project and held no remorse, unlike his colleagues, was bemused rather than ashamed of their acts, instead, he was elated and thrived in his freedom to seek further knowledge.

Project D had begun on X750, 6th of October. The beginning numbers of 'participants' amounted to an horrifying 10,000 children being held captive and experimented on, the war would last for 10 years. 5 long years of seemingly futile attempts at creating the weapon were sacrificed, in the aftermath of their attempts, all but one of the children had died.

Some from the overdose of medicine and experimentation, others chose to take their own lives from the madness enshrouding the facility that went by the name of S.M.I.L.E. An impromptu name designed to lure the children into the seemingly harmless building with promises of candy and sweets, none of them lived to see the light of day after that.

However, they finally succeeded in creating the weapon, a child appearing around the age of 9, floated within the green liquid of the containment pod. Body limp and eyes shut as a gas mask attached itself to his respiratory system, the dog tag on the tank was written in encrypted barcode, with the only the visible feature being the number, nine and the scratched out name 'Nao' beside it.

Subject nine, as the boy was called, had long straight hair painted in the emptiness of light, with a smidge of red colouring the tips, an effect from the experiment. His face was sharp and had a firm structure, a direct contrast to the likely shape of males before hitting puberty. His arms were thin yet had the slightest hints of muscle proportions, his body lean with a healthy portion of muscles in the right areas, and his skin was completely pale from the lack of exposing light.

Dressed in a loose outfit consisting of simple shirt and shorts, he laid floating as a pale white hand with elongated nails painted black palmed and caressed the glass tanks delicately, as if it was the most fragile thing in the world. Through the darkness of the abyss that surrounded the pod, only the bare minimal of light shone outwards and gave a glimpse to the owner of the hand.

With a face painted completely white, save for the black cross like paint mark covering his nose and a small portion of his lower chin, his eyes are a golden amber that hid the mischievousness and insanity of a child. His teeth were constantly bared for the world to see, giving him the appearance of constantly smiles, his ears supposedly replaced with stubbed golden cone attachments, with a similar attachment reminiscent of an Egyptian Pharaoh Beard.

His hair has been styled into 'horns', that slope down from the top of his head and framed his face, which when viewed from the front, looked very much like a Pharaoh's crown. Dressed flamboyantly in a lab coat, stylishly redesigned to incorporate fur and additional accessories such as jewellery, he failed to pull off the scientist look from a first glance.

 _Yet, it also made him all the more dangerous._

"Tell me Jay, have you seen anything quite like this? Such magnificence and beauty crafted into such an individual? I do suppose that he could be dressed better than this, but that is a mere consequence of his existence, he lives to serve and he lives to be boasted of." Mayuri stated monotonously in the midst of silence sans the various beeping of machines sustaining the delicate life form.

"I'm afraid not sir, I find magnificence and beauty in the field of mystery, the lust for knowledge and the thrill of finding the truth excites me most. However I can understand from your viewpoint, this certainly is a wonderful specimen of our creation. I believe-"Jay responded to his superior but was promptly backhanded across the face and slammed painfully into the now crack filled wall, sliding down it in a broken heap.

"DID I GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO CALL IT YOURS!? NO! THIS IS MY CREATION, THE YEARS OF **MY** WORK CRAFTED INTO THIS BEING OF ABSOLUTE BEAUTY, I WILL NOT HAVE YOUR DISGUSTING MOUTH SLANDER MY WORK! NOW BE GONE YOU FOOLISH MENACE, YOU ARE POISONING THE AIR AROUND IT WITH YOUR PRESENCE!" Mayuri's voice boomed across the lab, yet none of the scientists flinched nor halted their work in his rant, having obviously gotten used to the man's tantrum.

"Shhh….Shhh…quiet now, everything will be fine, my lovely specimen. You are the key to a whole new path of revolution in the field of science, I will finally show the world of our power, our destruction, and my genius! Those heathens that claim that Zeref is the key to understanding magic are such blasphemous bigots that hold no understanding of science. Yes….Yes…we will show them, using its power, I have finally created the perfect weapon and I do believe we have just the perfect opportunity to test this." Mayuri mused to himself, with delicate fingers tracing along the glass windows as his smile turned into a sly grin upon seeing the incoming message from above the surface.

"Release the specimen!" he barked at his in his opinion pompous subordinates who wish to squander off his credit of work, he would have gotten the whole Project to himself, yet he had to admit that the work would be shortened with extra hands.

"NOW ARISE SUBJECT 9, SHOW THE WORLD THE TRIUMPH OF SCIENCE, REVOLUTIONISE THE WORLD, LET THEM KNOW MY NAME!" he proclaimed with spread arms as the fluids drained from the pod and the body fell limp to the floor, only to stir into consciousness. Propping himself upwards with visible strain, he stood tall and confused before abruptly grasping his head in agony, collapsing on his knees with mouth agape in a silent scream.

"DAMN IT, OPEN THE POD, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE YOU FOOLS!?" Mayuri fumed as he marched towards the slowly opening pod containing the suffering child, before reaching out towards the child with his hand. Grasping the child by the neck in a tight grip that spurred cracked bones, Mayuri proceeded to smash the child neck first against the concrete floor, creating cracks from the crushing force as the child openly bled from the mouth.

"Hold still my child, your creator shall save you!" Mayuri openly remarked with sincere concern in his tone despite his cruel treatment of the child in the first place, crushing the smaller body under the sole of his shoes, removing a syringe filled with ominous red liquid swishing within its confinements. Crudely piercing the skin surrounding the neck, he injected the syringe's contents into the bloodstream of the child, who began flailing about in torment.

Veins popped out from the stress inflicted upon the body, hands reached up and began clawing away at the skin surrounding the neck in an attempt to ease the pain, something Mayuri noticed, much to his frustrations. "Give me vial 24, hurry!" he held out his palm with practised ease, awaiting the object to be placed in grasp.

Feeling the sudden weight, he sucked in the green liquid and tested the syringe, and then proceeded to inch the needle inch by inch into the top of his skull. The boy began struggling, eyes wide and bloodshot from the excruciating pain, with his throat crushed he had no way but flailing as a sign for struggling.

"I said…TO HOLD STILL!" Mayuri roared as he unsheathed his weapon, obscured by the coat of his outfit and plunged it deep into the gut of his specimen. It was a sword to say the least, it resembled a deformed trident with curved serpentine blades, with the middle blade being straighter than the side blades. The guard was shaped akin to a head with a halo over its head, with spiky protrusions sticking out of the head.

Blood pooled from the sudden impalement and to his delight, his specimen finally stopped struggling enough for the entire contents to be injected in. A green glow surrounded the body of the child before finally settled into a glow surrounding the head, where a small blinking implantation could been seen from the skin of the head, most likely planted into the brain.

"Now then, let's observe your first movements, daddy wants you to take your first baby steps." He cooed as he flicked a switch that shocked the boy before standing upright in a flash, body moving robotically towards his master, eyes no longer bright to be considered conscious. The sword was fashionably plucked out in a swift motion, allowing the open wound to leak, yet miraculously it began closing inwards.

"Well done my child, now onto the next test, judging by the synchronisation rate, you should have complete control over it, but better to test it out to get valid data. Now then please, follow daddy's orders and… kill everyone in this room except for me." He spoke in an intrigued tone, finding it amusing to needlessly slaughter his colleagues using the creation they collaborated their minds to.

Without hesitation, the child reared his head back and roared in an animalistic manner and charged towards the first victim, who had tried to flee in fear along with the rest. Alas, their creation was too fast, too powerful and deadly, that his life was ended in a flash with a clawed hand ripping out his heart.

This sparked a mass panic with numerous scientists clambering for the door in a frantic hurry to avoid their demise at the hands of a demented wielder of their weapon, but like the first victim, they fell as well to a quick and precise death. In the aftermath of the massacre, the walls were painted red with claw like marks marring the surface, limbs were torn from bodies and scattered across the floor, and red liquid flooded the area and coated their hunter in a thick veil of blood.

"Excellent, this is most excellent! Such speed, such power, oh you just know how to spoil your daddy don't you. Now then shall we take a walk, the first time as father and child?" he commanded as his specimen walked alongside the creator into the battlefields of war where an event would forever be etched into the hearts of mortal man.

 **XxX**

Damion Cyrus, a name once synonymous with the word 'prodigy' in Bosco, an uprising star when his genius was first recognized amongst the fresh batch of young scholars wishing to ignite change upon the world. His knowledge, superior in every aspect in terms of his specialty, politics. His lust for knowledge, his thirst for the unknown led him to receive numerous invitations to research facilities, yet he declined them all in favour of pursuing his dream.

From birth, he had his eyes opened in the face of the actual reality surrounding him, the harsh reality that oppose everything the story books seem to inspire, having seen his parents murdered before his very eyes had an adverse effect upon the young child's mind. Ever since then, despite his apparent genius, he sought the best thing to counter his childhood nightmares, politics and the arm of the law.

Before long, he had been ceremoniously invited to join the seats of the council of Bosco which housed the brightest and cunning minds birthed from their lands, and he accepted. Initially, his reputation and harsh decisions against the criminals and scum plaguing the land was seen as righteous as it appeased the victims, but soon he found himself falling into the same path of his torturers, he was becoming a monster.

His name now became akin to speaking the word of death, a mutter of his name became a death sentence, and he now held complete control over the council after years of overwhelming the competition through scheming and backstabbing. He desired more power, to completely envelope the world under the word of law, or in his 'self-righteous' terms, his **word**.

Under his control, the people of Bosco flourished and prospered under a time of peace, seemingly appeasing his state of heart, yet internally he desired more, his unconscious desire to rid the world of scum plaguing it, led him to abruptly declare war against the invading nations. His desire of monopoly was even seen when he manipulated their allies of Stella into receiving the blunt of the initial damage, falsely supplying honeyed words of gifts.

Yet even his intellect failed to understand the desperation of mankind's spirit, he lacked the means to understand warfare and was left at an impasse regarding his current issue. The invading forces, despite being on their last legs, were pushing past their defences and converging on their location, at the heart of Bosco.

5 years ago, when he stood atop to the podium, receiving the royal robes signifying his prestige and status, he had the right to view the darkness surrounding the façade of light displayed towards the citizen. Initially he was appalled at the idea of Project D being implemented, yet even for all his intellect, his experience in the art of politics fared poorly against the clearly superior senior members.

 _They knew of his condition. His drive. His determination when he first started. And used it against him._

With their influence secured by bribes and promises of power, they managed to reform all knowledge regarding the project and hid the truth in the shadows, providing 'positive' information that all the children captured were children of criminals doomed to follow their parent's paths in the beginning. The project was simply a way to secure the safety of the country and provide a better function of their lives, something Damion's still gullible mind believed. And thus he approved of the project, reigning in supposed criminals and parting them from their children.

Never before seeing the incidents through his own eyes, believing in his allies and the words of paper, he destroyed countless families, all for the sake of an experiment which he felt was retribution. He felt only slight remorse, and some form of guilt regarding the numerous experiments conducted under the very feet of their citizens, preaching to himself that it was all for the good of the country to appease the demons in his heart.

And now 5 years later, it seems that death has come knocking on his doors as he eyed the incoming forces through a telescope, clicking his tongue in annoyance. "Send word for the research development, unleash the weapon and ensure that everything invading this land dies by today, I will put my trust in that despicable man for once." He spoke with authority to the carrier, who immediately began typing encoded messages, word for word to Mayuri.

Mayuri and Damion had never sustained a pleasant relationship, both were opposites in their nature, one wished to rule the country to prosperity to attain a better life, the other wished to use the country to further himself. Yet despite their differences, they had begrudgingly admitted their respect for the others careers and brilliance in their fields, becoming the figureheads of their respective fields, they only managed a business like a relationship in order to attain their respective goals.

"This better work Mayuri, for whatever cruelties that those worthless children face, I wish it upon our enemies a thousand-fold, if it fails, neither of us will leave this country alive, that I swear upon the blood of the fallen." He muttered darkly as he heard a chime coming from the lower decks of the fortress surrounding the main capital of Bosco, housing the remaining population within their secured walls.

"Captain, ensure that the good doctor and his pet project are protected from incoming fire, this is our last chance for victory, do not disappoint me _again_." With an icy cold glance, he regarded his captain of the remaining forces with animosity. The captain was a middle-aged man, with numerous scars marring his skin, yet he held a solemn look within his gaze, his failure catching up to him during the war.

"Yes sir!" he saluted and marched off, beginning to bark orders to the mass cluster of soldiers patrolling the fortress defences. With a clink, the fortress walls were given an image to the weapon designed to be the ultimate being, the hope of the nation and the spear that will drive a hold through the shield rushing towards them. Loud cheers rang, some hopeful while others reinvigorated by the sur plus of victory they now held, shouting to the heavens of their new found desires to follow their orders to the very end, with hopes to survive the impactful war.

"This is Damion to Mayuri, is it set up?" he questioned with an annoyed tone through the wired connection to his companion in crime, not noticing anything through the obscuring smoke emitted from the flashy entrance. Mayuri always had a flare for dramatics even in the most profound of events.

"Of course, you ignorant swine! Such brilliance cannot be captured without a little flare for our audience, now tell your barbarians to cover us or I will send my 'pet' to claim the lives he truly desires." Mayuri's static voice sounded through the earpiece, igniting an infuriated look from the chairman.

"You will do as I say, or so help me, I will ensure your name goes down in history with the most humiliating outcome." He shouted in unbridled anger.

"I…see, very well then, but be warned Damion, about who truly wields the power. Sending out subject 9, commencing in 3…2…1. Initiate Project D." he counted down through the speaker with a disturbingly calm tone, which would have alerted alarms in Damion's head, had it not been for the roar crashing to the heavens that halted all activity within the vicinity.

All eyes pinpointed the roar that kicked up a sand stream and cracked earth from the shockwaves alone, widening in disbelief at the one responsible. The figure roared once more and settled down in a snarl, crouching down all fours reminiscent of an animal, with ebony flailing hair bellowing in the wind and a slowly forming red miasma enveloping the boy.

"Prepare to witness revolution, Damion, starting with my finest creation!" Mayuri's voice cackled through the speaker, driving a cold sweat upon the receiver as his eyes narrowed further once the red miasma formed a singular swishing form resembling a tail. With a controlled command, the boy leaned forwards, crushing the earth with the imminent pounce.

With a final command from his master, the boy lurched forwards at blinding speeds, causing a backlash shockwave to impact the walls of the fortress, collapsing a portion of it from the damage incurred. _What power._ A singular thought echoing in the minds of many that witnessed the pounce alone. Many began clambering about for any sight of their supposed weapon, eager to see the effects it had upon their enemy.

 _They were not disappointed._

With a single leap, the boy had covered the entire distance between the fortress and the approaching enemy forces, crashing in the midst of their march. The initial impact alone created a shockwave that dispersed the entire army, killing many in close proximity, with hypnotized eyes, the boy followed his instructions and became an instrument of death.

Many were dazed from the initial attack but they did not survive the war for nothing, they immediately took up arms and retaliated against the lone individual daring enough to halt their last efforts. Weapons of varying designs were flung, spells were cast as they rain down upon the young boy, and seal alignments littered the floor and ensnared him, ensuring their attacks effectiveness.

 _All fell in the face of its roar._

Once more its roar prove useful as it dispersed whatever spells or weapons being flung at it, some even sailed back to their owners, killing them in their stupor. With bleeding red eyes, he snarled and swung a single claw, sending another shockwave outwards that killed hundreds more. Panic erupted and many tried futilely to escape the horrifying being that was a 9 year old, but alas they fell, blown to bits or their body destroyed beyond repair.

It was only until their last general, General Budo, their reigning champion and the strongest of their empire came forth to stop the menace plaguing his men. Assaulting the perpetrator with a large bolt of lightning that erupted in a dome of fire, he waited patiently to survey the remains of the enemy, buying his men the time to escape, towering over them as a shield. His muscular body outfitted with an armour of different variants, spiky yellow hair combed backwards, he gave out a menacing aura.

The cloud of smoke was dispersed when the boy emerged, nothing worth a scratch was visible on his body, this time, he crouched once more, and growling insanely as a second tail began to form. Not allowing his opponent time to form any attack, he clasped his palms together, summoning forth a giant current of electricity cackling from his hands as a magic seal appeared.

Driving them into the earth, the lightning arched forwards and formed into shapes resembling wolfs that imitated lifeforms as they howled and charged at the seemingly still opponent. Until he disappeared, leaving a fading image as the first wolf pounced, dispersing in an explosion on par with the first lightning bolt.

Budo tensed as his senses picked up an incoming attack from his back, bending forward to avoid the initial impalement with a clawed hand, spinning to form an axe kick, he struck downwards right into the spine of the boy with a lightning-enhanced kick. Skidding back from the impact, Budo directed his wolfs mentally, as the cloud of smoke dispersed once more, revealing the boy with now a singed shirt, with a third tail slowly forming.

Budo wasn't a general for nothing and analysed every aspect of the boy at the next glance, decided to stop holding back in order to deal with the threat. Lightning began sparking across his body until it erupted into an armour of lightning that surrounded his body, muscles rippled and his armour broke from the sudden expansion.

Instead of allowing his enemy to make the first move, he struck first, moving faster than the boy did, flashing right behind the boy with an arm cocked back arched with lightning, before delivering it right into an awaiting tail that anticipated the attack. Avoiding the lashing tail, he provided a sweeping kick that sent the boy upwards, allowing Budo to grab his waist upside down, before pile-driving his entire body into the earth, creating an immense explosion that would have killed any man.

Seemingly satisfied with his work, Budo deactivated his shroud of lightning armour and walked away from the battlefield to regroup with his man, until the earth stirred. His armour came back in full force as he put up a hasty cross guard to block the bone-crushing punch that sent him flying backwards despite his enhanced state.

The lightning wolfs, having remained on the battlefield pounced on the individual all at once, directing an enormous amount of damage towards the single target. That was until a red projectile shot into the sky, dispersing the dust as the boy once again emerged relatively unharmed. A red glow shone upon the boy as he screamed in agony, his skin began tearing off from whatever process was proceeding, his hair started transforming into a glowing red, resulting in a monstrosity of man as completely pupils blank eyes regarded Budo in a snarl.

 _His tails grew longer and more physical, now with four tails._

Budo stood firm and rigid against the opposing force of nature, both disappeared in a flash and collided in a clash with their fists that created shockwaves that cracked the earth, the field that was once lush was now a cavern of craters. Blow for blow, Budo matched the creature's tenacity with his own overwhelming strength, yet even Budo was human and he began to slow down.

In a bout of surprising intellect, the creature dug a tunnel through the earth with his tail and erupted from behind Budo as he avoided a claw slash, with his body no longer listening to his command, he felt the tail pierce through his weakened armour and sprayed blood across the creatures face. In a final act of persistence, he lurched forward and struck the creature with a steel rod, smirking in response.

"I am General Budo, the strongest and mightiest of the Bellum Empire, you would do well to remember that name, _monster_." He spoke through gritted teeth as the clouds rumbled in acknowledgement, a giant bolt of lightning flashed down and conducted right into Budo's rod, sending a sure-kill strike against the creature as a last attempt.

The sky grew dim as the lightning struck its target, Budo peered through lidded eyes as he choked against the lithe arm grasping his neck, crushing it with the force applied. This time, the creature did not appear unfazed, he had a crack like fissure along the waistline where the rod struck, its movements were stiff from the occasional spark emitting from his body.

Budo put on a final show of defiance as he smirked grimly at the thought that he had at least damaged the creature that wasted him with ease, he would go down in history as the lone individual having done the most damage to the beast. Eyes flickered to dullness as Budo's final breath was taken and he collapsed on the floor, similarly sprawled out like the rest of his soldiers.

 **XxX**

"By the gods, he took down Budo…SIGNAL THE ALARM, THE GREAT GENERAL BUDO HAS BEEN DEFEATED, BOMBARD THE AREA AND CLEAR AWAY THE REMAINING FORCES, AND SHOW THEM NO MERCY!" the captains voice echoed with hope anew by the sight he witnessed, Budo had been a thorn in their side ever since the war began, now that their shining beacon was snuffed out, they finally had the chance to win this war.

"Wait! You fool! Our weapon is still there, do you want it to think of us as the enemy!? I gave you an order soldier, he is not to be harmed!" Damion clutched the gruff of the captain's neck, snarling at the audacity of defying his orders until his arm was removed in a forceful grip.

"Sir, I mean no disrespect, and I take full responsibility for my men's actions, but that thing is neither child nor weapon anymore, it is a beast, with its leash released, it will seek out the people who harmed it in the first place. There is no other outcome, it will turn on us, and I am doing us all a favour and getting our asses out of here alive!" the captain nodded and the soldiers took aim and fired at the chaotic mess of their enemy, more than half the bombardment directed their shots at the creature.

"DAMION! WHAT IN GOD'S NAME ARE YOUR BARBARIANS DOING!? TELL THEM TO STAND DOWN NOW OR THEY'LL GET US ALL KILLED! I HAVE IT ON A LEASH AND IF SO HELP ME, THAT LEASH IS BROKEN, YOU"LL BE THE FIRST TO DIE! BY MY HANDS!" Mayuri's voice burst from the speaker, announcing his speech to all the soldiers with how angered he was.

"YOU HEARD THE MAN CAPTAIN, STAND DOWN NOW!" Damion commanded, yet it fell on false ears, as the captain simply looked on with a faraway look, determined to defy his superior at the cost of his career. More shots echoed and whistled through the wind as the enemy forces dwindled down to mere stains across the battlefield, cheers were sung as victory was ensured.

"DON'T CELEBRATE YET! CONCENTRATE FIRE ON THAT MONSTER! KILL THE DAMN THING BEFORE IT GETS TO US!" more shots were fired, all concentrating towards the single standing individual amidst the sea of limbs. The creature simply stood and shrugged off any damage done to it, its posture confused, showcasing its intellect despite its animalistic instincts.

"I WILL NOT BY DEFIED!" Damion proclaimed as he unsheathed a hidden blade and stabbed into the chest of the unfaithful captain, dyeing his white robes crimson as the soldiers could only look on in disbelief. Heavy footsteps could be heard trudging up the stairs as all eyes turned to see an absolutely livid Mayuri giving every one of them an icy glare.

He marched towards Damion, unsheathing his sword and stabbed forwards into a guarded sword, his face grew even more infuriated. "I TOLD YOU TO CALL OF YOUR IMBECILES, WHAT IS THERE NOT TO UNDERSTAND, ALL OF YOU STOP YOUR ACTIONS OR I WILL PERSONALLY TORTURE YOU TO HELL!" his demand caused an immediate cease-fire, Mayuri chucked his sword away and pulled out his personal machine, hardwired to control the creature through the chip implanted into his brain.

"Don't worry dear, nobody is going to hurt you anymore, all the bad man will be gone, so come home now." He spoke with glee despite the situation, his thirst for more absolutely rapacious. He pressed a button and a green glow connected with the creature, signalling a connection. Slowly controlling for fear of losing it, he controlled its movements gently until he heard the cocking of a gun.

Too late to manoeuvre out of the way, the shot impacted against the fragile machine and shattered it into a thousand pieces, shocking everyone with the bold act. Mayuri followed the trajectory in a daze, seeing the smoke emitting from the barrel held by a certain bleeding captain giving them a wry smile, his eyes conveying the greatest of pities.

"You…you…do you realise what you have done…the control….the power it has…the intellectual being…AND YOU JUST SET IT FREE! YOU! I WILL SEND YOU TO OBLIVION! YOU WILL SUFFER FOR ALL ETERNITY FOR THIS! STARTING NOW!" grabbing his thrown sword in a crushing grip that the sword groaned in protest, he plunged it deep into the heart of the already fallen captain, purple smoke emitting from the handle as his body began convulsing.

"MAYURI, WE HAVE A PROBLEM!"

"WHAT IN BLOODY HELL IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN PUNISHING THIS HEATHEN! I-oh" Mayuri swords slackened from his grip as he witnessed the ominous black orb beginning to form around the mouth of the creature, its power evident by how the earth was crushed simply by its presence. Mayuri's hand flickered towards the usual pocket that held the machine but gasped when he recalled the now broken machine.

In a frantic hurry, he jumped off the wall and landed, full on sprinting towards the creature with open arms. "IT's OKAY MY DEAR, EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE FINE, DADDY TOOK CARE OF THE BAD GUYS, YOU CAN PUT DOWN YOUR TOY NOW!" the creature simply regarded Mayuri with an impassive gaze, to the others overlooking the scene, the orb seem to grow larger.

Then it swallowed the orb and whined in sorrow, something Mayuri was internally grateful for. "That's it, calm down now, we can even go get those green liquid you love so much, just like always, right?" Lifting his pale hand towards the creature's hand, caressing it lovingly until he was forced back from the sudden expansion of the creature, smoke emitting from the mouth.

"W-what!? What are you doing, my child?" uncertainty in his voice, only to pale further if he could as a collection of particles centred around the mouth, and with a rear of its head, it unleased the deadly blast.

"How magnificent, my beautiful creation." Last words uttered by the famous doctor as he dissipated in white.

"Evacuate now! Hurry!" Damion cried as he fled from the incoming projectile, hoping to make it to the underground tunnels of the city to protect himself. However, the projectile was too quick, too deadly and inevitably too powerful.

Colliding against the fortress walls, it exploded in a sea of white, amidst the crowds of panicked individuals, a sole being sought refuge in the light. "Finally… you are free." His voice spoke with relief, as the dog tag representing his rank of captain against his uniform jingled for the last time, a laughter so carefree echoed in the mass panic, as the good soldier finally died with a peaceful heart.

 **XxX**

In the aftermath of the event, Project D was investigated by neighbouring countries having felt the shockwaves alone from the attacks, investigations concluded that a massive beast attacked the fort and killed every single being within the vicinity. The entire city was obliterated without a trace, leaving behind a gaping crater where the city once stood.

Further investigations led many to believe that the beast had continued rampaging despite its apparent lack of prey, till an undisclosed location where it was assumed to be its final resting place, within that location a massive scar of three claw-like markings was carved into the landscape, mountains crumbled and earth fissured, forever changing the geographical image of the country.

The creature was named the Red Beast for its lasting impression of blood upon the soil of the fallen stronghold while others named it Trihexa, the beast of the Apocalypse, the number of the beast. And after scholars have concluded the event, disclosing any further information regarding the beast and its potential whereabouts, have decided to name the event that shook the world.

 _The Mark of Trihexa._

* * *

 **So I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, there would be several OC's within the story to kickstart some arcs that I** **would like to introduce, so do be prepared for those. I also enjoy some coupling to add a some spice into the story, which also serves a major involvement in the main character's emotional scope, which would be explained later in the story.**

 **Cover Art by Linnyxito. Awesome work and all right's go to him/her.**

 **Thank you once again.**


	2. Seeking the World

**Hello, all, thank you for positive reviews during the launch of the first chapter, I was surprised to note that many of you found my style of writing to be enjoyable since it was hinted before that my exposition was horrendously long. While many are still questioning the identity of the MC, let's allow the story to unfold itself, I will say that this chapter has some lines that are initial hints as to what is going to occur in the future. So bare with me a little longer and I will reward you with a brand new chapter every 1-2 weeks. School is a hassle and my grades need to be pushed up so I might not have as much time to contribute towards Fanfiction as others, but I will try.**

 **Disclaimer: Not owned by me in any form, so many ideas, though.**

* * *

 **Seeking the world**

Magic is the physical representation of the soul given form, it embodied the soul's closest connections, the innate desire and needs forming into the miracle known as magic. That was what numerous researchers have uncovered, as the inner soul was in truth untainted, remaining pure despite supposed connections to 'dark' magic.

 _However, it begs the question, if magic was the_ _ **physical**_ _representation, thereby affecting our bodies in the physical realm, what happens when the soul was altered, tainted?_

In his conquest to uncovering the secrets behind the aspect of tampering with the soul to allow transference between one subject to another, Mayuri discovered an important aspect disapproving his research. The soul was a glorious specimen, it was the purest form of energy, devoid of the world's evil, it gave life to our empty less husk we call bodies.

It was meant to stay that way, our bodies functioned on an important basis that without the soul, we would remain as a husk of our former self's, it gave the individual individuality, it created the difference between us. Therefore in order to create the possibility of transferring a non-compatible magic into the soul, it had to remove a certain aspect of the soul to allow a new host that allowed the new magic to be received.

Likely said before, humans were always adaptive creatures, and the soul exemplified this claim. Souls changed in order to accept new, yet at the core, it still represented the individual no matter the changes, that was the beauty of the soul. Thus, Project D was created to bypass that rule, the government wanted the strongest being, which also meant requiring a stronger soul.

It took five years and the countless corpses of children to finally accomplish their goal, they managed to alter the soul, removing a certain aspect of it only to replace that hollow spot with a different soul. The reasons for so many deaths was partly due to the incompatibility of souls initially, clashing them together would destroy the soul inside out. Another reason for the deaths was the removal of certain fragments of the soul, it created a loss in the physical realm, affecting the bodies and caused instability.

The only survivor and successful subject had the ability to survive after his soul had been tempered with, survived the clashing of souls and came out victorious, seizing control of the entirety of the soul once again. With the removal and addition performed by the experiment, the boy's body had been altered in proportion, losing a part of his body, only to be replaced by something else.

In order to gain something, something must be lost. It was the fundamental rule revolving everything. Nothing is gain without sacrifice, and sacrifices are never limited. A part of his soul was lost, never retrievable, never restorable, only a hollow portion where it used to be.

 _So the question is, what did the boy lose and what did he gain in return?_

 **XxX**

"Are you sure this is wise? He suffers from your actions, albeit not directly, but it was your creations that did this. Is there any way to revert the damages done to this poor boy, hasn't he suffered enough?" a feminine solemn voice spoke as a petite hand caressed the scalp of the boy situated on a bed, covered in bandages with many stained in blood.

"They have gone too far, any further involvement will incur unexpected results, it is a miracle itself that his soul has not been entirely consumed. My apologies child, I had not fathomed the extent humanity will go for their selfish desires." A monotonous voice spoke from the side, slightly switching to a sincere tone before reverting back to their original tone.

"I'm surprised he hasn't been affected by your presence, shouldn't it kill him?" clear wonder in her voice as she eyed her only other occupant in the household.

"It should…Yet he still lives. You are aware that I created them with a sole purpose, but some I have decided to imbue certain traits that define them, it was a test to overwhelm my own to achieve my goal. Perhaps this child is the key to attaining my goal, I have waited far too long for something like this." An intrigued conclusion was asserted as eyes wandered over the form of the slowly breathing child.

"And you still wish for him to be involved?! Hasn't he gone through enough?! The horrors he has experience will put down many veterans, yet he still perseveres, I can feel it. Please grant him a life of happiness now, I fear for the outcome should he continue down this path." An infuriated tone shifted to a pleading one as small droplets fell upon the white sheets.

"I'm…sorry, there is nothing I can do now, he will be involved, one way or another. He is broken, a hollow of his past self, memories of happier times stripped from him, it is up to the gods to decide his fate now. It is not his time, the current events would not suit the path he has to take. But you and your people have always been determined to defy the impossible, to fix a shattered mirror would be a test of their bonds, and a test for _him_ as well. You derive strength from the bonds shared, I await the day the mirror shall shine once more. Take care of the boy, big things await him, Farwell for now, my friend." A soft creak of wood signified the leave of their presence as a sigh of indignation echoed in the air.

"…The things I do for the people I love." Another weary sigh as she continued her ministrations, caressing the tuff of hair with care akin to a mother. That is until her gaze shifted to the additional appendage lazily dangling off the side, abruptly squealing with a glimmer in her emerald eyes.

"Hmm…with the power I converted, the barrier should last a couple of years, more than enough time for the events to shift. I wonder…does it feel the same as the real thing?" curiosity apparent as she lifted the appendage.

"It does apparently… how cute!"

 **XxX**

A figure crashed into a pool of liquid, gaze unflinching as he stared towards the ceiling in the hallway, reminiscing of past times in similar situations. Already used to the drill, he uplifted himself on soaked clothing weighing down on him, staring blankly at the new addition of clothing dressing him. Feeling the unknown additional weight upon his body, he blanked in vague surprise at the shivering appendage wrapped around his torso.

Feeling the new muscle attachment, he shifted to examine it, flicking it to remove the uncomforting effect it had, producing a rather fluffy aftermath. Prodding and feeling the response, he concluded his examination and pondered on the exact event that spawned it, having never seen something similar within the labs.

Leading to a simple conclusion, he hefted his arm from weighing water and flexed, producing slightly visible muscles with a strange sensation within his fingertips, following his instincts as he called to it. Without so much as a flinch, razor sharp claws littered the tips of his fingers, gleaming under the dim lighting of the ominous hallway.

Testing his new 'weapons', he stood with a crashing sound of water echoing in the halls, travelling so far till it was barely audible to his sense. Another note to mention was his new sense of hearing and smell, the sound he was accustomed to hearing lingered far longer than usual, the smell enveloping the area increased in effect.

With bare feet slapping across the drenched floor, he ambled forwards into the dark abyss that soon surrounded his entire being, yet continued without any visible sign of fear. Unknown periods of time past as he walked, the body never halting nor rested, he didn't have to after all. He was in control. He could tell his body what to do.

As thoughts lingered in his mind, doors responding to such thoughts flashed by his sides, numbering in the hundreds they remained closed, awaiting their master's key to open them. He required neither sight nor smell, he knew what each door represented, what they held and what should remain inside. With a snap of his fingers, the doors vanished akin to a wisp of smoke fleeting in the wind, a distant memory of their previous existence.

Similarly to gaining entry into a mysterious and ancient relic of the past, torches held by sconce littered the walls and illuminated the path, fire cracking seemingly as the lone visitor strolled through the magically dry floor. At last, a visible ending could be seen as the air bellowed forwards, flailing his ebony hair backwards as his attire protested in a failed attempt to halt the assault.

Yet he never halted, only walking forwards as if it was only a mild inconvenience, finally arriving within a large clearing void of anything save for a barely flickering bulb hanging in the ceiling. The wind had ceased as well, slightly ruffling his appearance but nothing much differed. Currently, closed eyes lazily opened, revealing lilac eyes heavily resembling amethyst jewellery, glancing around the clearing before stopping upon the sight of a humungous structure previously missing from the scene, only a black void was within its confines.

"Is this your doing?" his voice soft-spoken yet enough for his recipient to respond.

"And what if it is?" a demonic voice heavily deep in tone answered, pearly white teeth shone through the bar-like cage mischievously, each huge enough to tower over the boy.

"What is your reason for doing so? I do not recall you interfering in anything, nor have I needed your assistance." The child spoke once again, void of emotion as he sat down on a conjured chair and table, already outfitted with a cup of tea. With another snap of his fingers, the teeth grinned slightly more, this time much happier than mischievous, before disappearing.

"I see you have not forgotten…Jasmine tea, a favourite of mine." A comforting sigh of relaxation escaped the creature's mouth in the darkness, this time, the tone was slightly higher in pitch.

"I as well, after all, you taught me to enjoy this brand of tea, a fine choice as always." The child complemented upon savouring his own cup of tea, eyeing the swirling liquid floating within its confinements.

"I had no choice…you were going on a rampage, any more and the device stuck in that crevice of a brain would activate and self-destruct like that _man_ planned, I destroyed it but you were injured as a result. Sending my energy through your body accelerated the healing process otherwise, you would have died, the extra stuff was beyond my control, it seems you and I are more connected than it seems." Another sip echoed as the child fixated himself upon the cup, calmly watching the swirling liquid before responding.

"Is there a way to reverse the effects?" not a hint of urgency or desire dripped from his voice.

"Why? If I have to say so myself, you looked much better now than compared to those weaklings of humans, you are an exception of course. If I were to wager a guess, our mixed energies should help you in the long run, increasing your abilities to a higher state." A red glowing circle flickered around the body of the child, careening into an eye smile.

"I see…it matters not then, I would not reverse the effects. Describe to me the outcome of my rampage." He shifted without pause as if his rampage that echoed across the world was a mere incident easily swept under the mat.

"Under his control, he sent you in a mindless state towards the approaching army, managing to cripple most of their forces. You entered into a four-tailed state when you battled against the enemy general, you killed him in the end but suffered a rather annoying injury that took months to repair. You were later bombarded by artillery from our 'masters', in your already confused state you associated them as enemies and fired a bomb that destroyed the entire city, killing everyone within the vicinity. Including that disgusting insect of a human, you have my thanks." His voice dripped with excitement recounting the bloody tale, finding enjoyment in the death of the man responsible for their situation in the first place.

"Were there no survivors?" he inquired, putting off his supposed murder spree.

"There were, but you hunted them down and killed them all. It was a beautiful shower of blood if I had seen one, you truly are the only human that I could associate with." The creature reminisced with a sigh of longing, apparently longing for such events to occur right within the vicinity of an easily influenced child.

"My rampage will not cease until _he_ puts me down, what did I do after?" blank eyes regarded the blood gem eyes, which in turn widened in glee.

"Oh, then comes the fun part, with nothing to control you, you created destruction wherever you went. Destroying so many things that it brought a tear to my eye, three mountains destroyed in one glorious explosion! My kind of party! But alas, the fun had to end eventually, you were put down, and rather roughly I might add by an individual that shall not be revealed for the time being." He proclaimed with excitement, even donning an act of sniffles to exemplify his claim.

"My current position?" his eyes trained upon the slight twitch in the darkness of the creature when he recounted the strange individual, but chose not to extend past his boundaries, he created them after all.

"On some island, heavily damaged with most of your skin torn off from the exposure to my energy, your body has been completely broken due to the excessive pressure on it, I'm currently repairing it but the strange spectral figure taking care of you has erected a barrier around us. A most peculiar one at that, it is rare to see time-space magic being used these days, whoever she is, is a most interesting human that I might even take an interest in." the creature mused as the child nodded and hopped off his chair.

"It appears that I will have to recuperate from my injuries, I will rest, wake me when the time comes." A simple order, not to be taken seriously as the child meant it more as a request, something that the creature knew. His jet-black hair wavered once more before disappearing into an opened door, closed shut with a slow creak.

"Fear not child, when the time comes, destruction will rain anew once more." Pearly teeth shimmered into the darkness once again, leaving the clearing void of anything safe for the light buzzing emitting from the electrical device, which soon glowed brightly before blowing out.

 **XxX**

" _Where am I going? Shouldn't I be with the others back at the orphanage?"_

" _It doesn't matter, shouldn't you be glad we took you out of there, the others don't seem to like you?"_

" _I…I just like to be alone, I like reading books, books are safe. The others always call me names."_

" _Well don't worry now, you're going to meet your new family soon, so put on a smile and let's move on."_

" _Alright! Hey! What was that thing you poked me with, it hurt a lot ya know?!"_

" _Oh that…that was a needle it's gonna make you all sweet enough to eat for dinner, Hahaha!"_

" _Wah! Don't eat me, somebody save me!"_

"…"

" _Neh, what is this place?"_

" _This, my boy, is the Smile factory, all the poor kids who have no homes to return to are brought here. You see, the owner loves kids, he wants them to always smile so he named the place Smile, let's go meet them."_

" _Alright!"_

" _Hey…why is it so dark? Where is everyone?"_

" _Oh…do not worry, you'll meet them soon, very soon."_

Eyes fluttered open once more, unhindered by the darkness surrounding him, instinctively knowing where he was as he hopped off the slowly shimmering bed. Examining his attire, nothing had changed as of sorts, his appendage remained as bushy as ever. Stretching to remove the kinks in his body, he reached towards nothing, yet the abyss fazed into a plain white door, opening to reveal the same hallway.

"You've woken. I had not anticipated you to be an early riser, the majority of your naps would last for extended periods usually." The resonating voice boomed across the hallway, constantly flickering the torches flames.

"I was not able to find peace, dreams have hindered my rest." The child responded nonchalantly, speaking as if it was a daily occurrence.

"It doesn't matter, 22 months have passed since, which if I'm right, and 22 years have passed in proportion in the real world. Your body has recovered mostly, but due to your sudden awakening, the recovery period would be rushed, putting a slight strain on your body in the real world. It would seem that our guest has been observing you for the better part of two decades, it's time to pay her a visit, wouldn't you say?" an inquiry tone as he eyed the small child before him.

Eyeing the giant red orb of slitted pupils, "I suppose so, is there anything else that you wish to clarify?"

"Nothing of importance yet, now scram, I want to enjoy my nap for my efforts." An orange paw waved the child off.

Bowing briefly, he addressed the giant creature, "Thank you for your services."

"Hn" a single huff was exuded before the child before shimmered into nothingness.

 **XxX**

Feeling the strange warmth across his skin, strained eyelids opened, only to be bombarded by glimmering light that shone through the windows. Furrowed brows littered his face as he blinked several times to grow accustomed to unfamiliar environments. Several moments passed as the child cleared the sting affecting his eyes, finally aware of the basking sunlight in the homely hut he was in.

"So…this is sunlight?" questioned the child, arms reached outwards in an attempt to capture the strange warmth from this light, only to no avail. Questioning eyes discern the household, noticing the rather barren lifestyle the owner was living in, lacking a functioning kitchen or shower, only the bare minimum decorated it.

He, however, jumped when a soft hand shifted itself underneath the sheets and smoothed the fur on his tail, which sprung up in surprise. His body moved instinctively, fingers straight with the tips outlined with claws stabbing into the likely place of contact with the enemy, only to meet air. Warily glancing about as both hands shifted into claws, awaiting the next appearance of the stranger.

"Now, now, no need to be so tense, I just wanted to pet your tail again, it's really soft." A soft feminine voice spoke up from the bedside, seemingly appearing out of the blue from the previously empty space. Lilac eyes shifted to analyse the newcomer, already concluding that the person was female yet had the appearance of a child, around the same age as him.

Long wavy blonde hair that lit up a golden hue under the sunlight, large childlike emerald eyes lacking pupils, and the most unusual wing-like accessories around her ears. Dressed in a rather frilly pink robe, the feature standing out was the three diamond-like patterns around the chest, outlined in a darker shade of pink.

Her hands were held up defensively with a nervous chuckle, subtly eyeing the now swishing tail under the sheets, which then settled still as the child before her gave her a dry look. Looking at those eyes paused her train of thought, those eyes lacked something, something important that she could not figure out.

Lost in her train of thoughts, she failed to notice the sharp claws inches away from her neck, those same _cold_ eyes now boring into her very soul, not relinquishing any emotions in the slightest. It was only when he spoke that she felt the small prick against her skin, "Were you the one who nursed me in this time-space barrier?"

Initially, she wanted to wholeheartedly agree, to put on her cheerful persona and engage in a meaningful conversation. However this _child_ had not only known that he was cared for, but also was aware of the barrier surrounding the small hut, something was amiss in her calculations. A slight frown graced her features as she pursed her lips and adopted a tilt of the head expression, eyeing him calculatingly.

"And how is it you are aware, young man? There are few in the world who are able to use the spells, let alone recognising them, you had barely a glance in the surroundings till you gave your conclusion." Mirth filled eyes addressed the child, she was having fun! She hadn't had fun in a while.

"I was not aware you were older than I, judging by the physical contact we had, you are not the spectral figure who nursed me. What is your agenda?" still emotionless as he questioned her, igniting a faint smile across her face.

"You really are interesting! Well, first things first, we have to introduce ourselves before I answer your questions, it is common courtesy after all. My name is Mavis Vermillion, nice to meet you." Her cheerful personality kicking in as she extended a hand in a good manner.

"Nice to meet you as well…I do not have a name, I'm simply referred to as subject nine." A stoic response as he shook Mavis's hands, causing a slight widening of eyes from the contact.

 _He-he's so cold, it's like he doesn't have blood flowing through his arms_. Mavis inwardly thought in surprise as she noticed the pale skin, the lack of knowledge regarding sunlight, something everybody was aware of. Eyes bored once more into the child's, deeply analysing them before softening in degree.

"All of us have a name, don't you remember yours, I can't keep calling nine?" even if her facial features didn't differ in the slightest, her hands were gripping the hems of her dress tightly.

"I was always referred to as nine, my names was lost to me when my memories were taken from me. Is a name important?" the child questioned without exposing any form of instinctual behaviour, he truly believed that a name wasn't important.

"Of course, a name is important! It makes your identity, it gives your existence a meaning, and it acknowledges your existence, that is what a name represents!" despite her best efforts, Mavis couldn't help but shed a few tears from witnessing the poor soul in her care.

"I…do not understand, we are aware that we exist, so aren't our identities as humans already acknowledged? Tears. A sign of weakness. Why is it you are crying? Why are you showing me a form of weakness?" eyes trailing the small beads dripping onto the sheets, slightly frowning brows accompanied the confusion.

Shaking arms could no longer bear restraint as they flashed outwards in an attempt to engulf the child before her in a comforting hug, yet the slightest contact had elicited an aggressive response. The child flinched from the slight brush against his shoulders, body already moving as he jumped backwards and landed on the wooden panels in a crouch, arms outwards in a fighting stance.

"I will ask once more, what is your agenda, are you an enemy?" slight hostility masking the edge of his tone, body already prepared for any form of attack. Mavis looked in shocked despair, adopting a regretful look as she hopped off the chair, facing forwards in an otherwise serious manner.

Aware that the only way through to the child would be to be direct instead of shifting the conversation, "I am not an enemy, I was your caretaker for the past 22 months, I have a spectral form but remained physical using your magic, and I converted the magic to erect the time-space barrier to prevent the events occurring around the world to affect you. I am crying because you can no longer cry, I see it in your eyes, you are frightened by the prospect of crying."

The child seemingly satisfied with the answer lowered his guard, yet was still tense on the off chance that she was lying, "Where are we?"

"You are currently on the hidden island near the Land of Fiore, Tenrou Island. I found you injured and nursed you to health, yet most of the healing were done by yourself. What do you plan to do from now on? You're a free person, child, and nothing is going to cage you anymore." She walked closer, at a non-threateningly slow pace to prevent any sudden perception of assault.

"Why? Why would you do this for me? I am my own person, so why are you worrying about my problems?" curiosity swarmed his features, as he beheld the figure an arm-length away.

"It's because I desire to become your friend, I want to be there to support you, and you don't have to shoulder your burdens alone anymore, let me help you. Haven't you suffered enough? Don't you want to be happy?" arms spread wide gesturing to the sunlight and happy environment.

Yet it all crashed in the face of his stare, cold and unforgiving, ruthless and chaotic, "I desire no friends, they only serve to slow you down, chances of being betrayed by them is high, and why take the chances? The strong survive alone, and the weak cluster together to end up as fodder for the strong to climb, that's how the world works, that is what I believe."

He flinched slightly when he felt the petite arms enveloping him in a warm hug, tears fell upon black hair, glistening them in long locks of soft hair. Sniffles and sobs could be heard from the individual hugging him as he struggled to no avail against the bone crushing hug, his head was slowly patted in a comforting manner, all serving to confuse the child.

 _All these new physical feelings were new to one such as himself, it was either get injured or not injured in the labs, and there was never a period of time where peace was ensured._

"What are you doing? If this is your attempt to kill me, you're too slow." Spoke the child, hinting Mavis towards the claw aiming to pierce her heart, eyes showing neither remorse nor hesitation.

"You're so young…what have they done to you? This is called a hug, a gesture of providing comfort and positive emotions, it is done to a friend or lover." A croaked voice stifled out.

"This hug is unnecessary, rather it is providing me discomfort. What's done is done, there is no way to reverse the things done to me, and it has provided me with the base to start my search." He commented once more, managing to slip out of her grasp.

"You are searching for something, what is it? Do you need help?" her kind charisma kicking in, yet simply washed aside by the boy's growing annoyance.

"As I have said before, I do not desire help. I'm searching…to understand, and to fill the void." With a swift march, he barrelled out of the doors, allowing him to survey to surroundings.

 _The skies. Endless blue. White puffy clouds. It's just like he said. I once desired to see the skies, to be free like the clouds. Yet what is this emptiness? Why do I feel something is missing?_ Mused the child as he reaches outwards with his palm to the skies, facial features remaining the same.

Clenching his fist tightly, he scurried through his surroundings, searching for the necessary items. "Wait, what are you doing? You can't go yet, you're still injured! And where will you go?" Mavis came shouting in worry as she eyed the makeshift platform out of wood, serving as a raft.

"I've been through worse on the verge of death, this injury is nothing in comparison, I'm moving to Fiore, to explore in my attempts to find what I am looking for." Clenching his teeth tightening a knot, he examined his contraption to his expectations, manoeuvring it to the seas.

"At least, listen to my advice, there is a guild in Fiore, called Fairy Tail, they can help you find what you're looking for, trust me on this, please." She pleaded in her final attempts, hoping, her precious guild would aid the misguided child.

"…The last time I listened to advice, I was tortured for six months. Farewell Mavis, you have my thanks for nursing me." With a final push, the raft embarked across still waters, guided by a large stick, face front towards the seas, oblivious to the distressed look upon his healer.

"Please guide him well, let his life be filled with joy, his suffering should end and in its place, a new beacon will rise. Or the world will be thrown into chaos." She muttered to herself, arms clamped together in a silent prayer, observing the barely visible dot across the horizon.

 _Safe travels child, we will meet again._

 **XxX**

 _This sea seems endless, I have travelled an appropriate distance to warrant a sign of life, yet nothing is showing. Is it best to resume my searches during a sunny day?_ The child inquired to himself, examining the horizon's darkness as his only source of direction being led by the stars. Halting his raft's motion as he knelt down to feel the wave currents, having learnt that waves were usually caused by disturbances like ships or animals, it was his final gamble in the lonely sea.

Steadying himself as the violent crash of the ocean slammed into his raft, fervently in shifting the transportation steady using the stick, he gazed outwards with enhanced vision. When the creature meant his abilities would increase, he meant the basics, the senses and his magic container, enhancing those years ahead of what they should be. His eyes shifted to slitted pupils, irises shimmered to a demonic red, as his vision spanned the surroundings once more at a much larger proximity.

Seeing the small lights emitting from a large ship obstructed by black paint, he placed the palms against the still surface of the water, ejecting a large burst of concentrated magic power to propel himself forwards at booming speeds. Destroying the raft in the process, he used the remaining pieces of wood to skip across the water's surface, ending up along the ship's path.

Taking note of the variety of guards aboard the ship, dressed roguishly in somewhat tattered clothes, many intoxicated by the tin jar within their grasp. The ship's infrastructure was composed of mainly wood and metal, spotting a wooden panel within metal, jumped upwards to impale his fist through the wood.

Righting himself to balance, he noted the lack of notice from the guards, still immersed in their merry drinking. Eyeing the metal anchor, he kicked off the ship, grabbing onto the chains in a loud tangle of clashing metal and ducked under the shades when one guard turned around in his drunken stupor to pinpoint the noise generated.

Jumping upwards, he used the lone guard's lack of attention to deliver a quick punch to the base of the neck, temporarily paralysing and knocking him out. Shifting into the shadows with quick timing as another drunk guard came to the quarter decks, with barely feasible concentration, he took note of his knocked out companion.

Quickly deciding to follow with a rash decision by aiming a flintlock pistol towards the sky, yet jerked as his gun fell from his grasp, thumping against the wooden floor as he followed suit in blissful silence, last actions reaching for his genitals in a pained expression. Climbing upwards silently to the captain's room, landing upon the roof of it in a crouch, observing the main deck where the remaining crew were.

Counting five in total, four were dressed similarly like the ones previously, rather bloated in the belly for several. The only one out of the picture was the larger more burly man, with bigger muscles, bigger coat, bigger hat and a large broadsword. He had his fair share of tattoos and appeared to be surrounding a lone individual much smaller than the rest by the pole, gesturing to his fellow crewmembers, they joined in their cackle of amusement.

Already deducing the captain's identity, his eyes strayed further to observe the smaller individual, making sure to notice the ropes fasten securely around them. They had blonde hair tied in pigtails, in a much darker colour in comparison to Mavis's pale yellow, a beautiful small sunset dress framing their form, now crumpled and torn in various areas.

Ropes tied around a pole securing her arms, ankles clamped together with skin tearing force, and a tape plastered across her mouth. Face formed into a frown, eyes bore into her captors with deeply rooted anger, with the slight hints of fear. She appeared slightly older than the boy, struggling with all her might against her restraints.

Noticing their victim's futile struggle and glare the child could best muster, crouched downwards as the captain reached out and ensnared her hair in an unforgiving grip, "Quit struggling darling, as soon as your parents deliver the ransom, you're free to go. Or maybe…hey! You'd think she'll look good in a couple of years, you get what I mean?"

"She's a doll cap, gonna be some fun all grown up." One of them addressed back with a lick of the lips, eyeing the girl's body completely with a lustful glance.

"Hmm…well how's about we kill the negotiators, get the money and get the rest of them as well, free bucks and girls for us!" he cheered with his cup raised high, signalling a chain reaction from the rest. The girl's struggle proved successful enough to remove the gag placed on her, igniting a coughing fit from the sudden inhale of air.

"You won't get away with this! Papa and Mama will save me and everyone else you have on this ship! I won't let you touch anyone else-"her rant cut short when a swift backhand smacked her face harshly, the blow was strong enough that she fell unconscious.

"Tsk, stupid girl, we're gonna make sure we have fun with her soon, acting all hero, I wonder how long she can keep this up once we're through with her?" the captain mused as he examined the girl's face, flicking his hands off with a click of the tongue.

The young child heard enough and peered downwards into the captain's quarters, eyes widened at what he witnessed. Children. Easily the same age as himself. Numbering at least in the thirties. All tied up and huddled together, some crying while others remained quiet, having lost the will to cry.

The boy stumbled on his balance as he clutched his head in pain, teeth gritted together as his body shuddered in response. Eyes clenched shut as he fought to regain control, flailing about, yet it was only a miracle that the crew failed to notice him.

 **XxX**

 _Oh, how cute, a little rebellion. And what do you suppose you could with these small bunch of rats?_

 _We're getting out of here, we're going to be free! We're going to see the skies!_

 _Well then, come on, entertain me a little. I will show you the food chain you are in, and who stands at the top._

…

 _Truly pathetic, I had expected a better performance according to the data, yet I remained standing without a scratch._

 _Now, boys and girls, this is what happens when you disobey your parents and become naughty._

 _ ***Bang***_

 _It's such a shame. He had quite the potential, he could have very been the one we were looking for, but alas he was too feisty and rebellious. I believe punishment is required to teach you all a lesson…send them to the playground, tell Gerd that he has some new 'toys' to play with. And also, make sure he doesn't break them, broken toys are never fun to play with._

 **XxX**

Eyes snapped open, shifting once more into ruby eyes, his hair grew longer and glowed, claws clicked out and mouth settled into a snarl. Face with a furious expression, he jerked onto fours and pounced onto the closest target. Gaining such high altitude from enhanced muscles ensured he was less visible to the crew, it was their mistake for celebrating.

Claws straightened and honed onto the lone individual still observing the girl, with a quick strike, claws tore through flesh and negated any form of sound sans the body thumping against the floor, he was dead before he even realised it. Blood sprayed like a geyser from the chest wound where a gaping hole now stood, dyeing the child and the unconscious hostage red.

Quick to note despite their intoxicated state, shouts were broadcasted and soon they took arms against the lone individual daring enough to attack them, "Who the hell are you!? Don't you understand whose ship you're on, this is-"he voice cut short as he clutched onto his neck, gasping for air with the new neck wound inflicted by the boy who magically appeared beside him on the railings.

Collapsing in another fountain of blood, the child glanced to the side, demonic image enhanced by the red eyes half-hidden by jet black hair and blood-stained hands. No longer willing to communicate they began firing their pistols upon the boy, yet he evaded them all by flashing left and right to connect a devastating punch against another crew member.

Instantly spewing out blood and spit, he felt the wind knocked out of him as he was sent flying against the walls, crashing through with relative ease. With a mighty battle cry, one charged swinging a sword, yet to the child's trained eyes, it was slow. Sidestepping it, he allowed the swing to miss by a wide margin, enabling him to connect a fist against the throat of the overextended individual, shattering his throat with an ensuing coughing fit of blood.

"Tch, useless lot, you have to get your hands dirty when you want to get things done, come here you little shit!" the final member, the captain himself began the battle with a swing of his large battle sword, connecting with a sudden magic circle which unleashed a slash of purple energy. Dodging the unexpectedly fast projectile, the boy crushed the wood panels, moving with such speed it caused a backlash of wind.

Appearing before the captain, fist cocked back, ready to deliver judgement. However, the captain was one who had survived being on the run, on the unforgiving seas, he was one not to be messed with. Using the flat side of the blade to block, it cracked slightly but did its job, lashing out with a magically enhanced side kick that crashed into a guarded stance.

Due to his smaller stature, the boy was sent flying backwards, forced to slow his flight by dragging across the floor. With another smirk, the captain began unleashing energy slashes consecutively, forcing the boy to dodge. Yet, from a side glance, he noticed the trajectory of the slashes, they were aimed at the still trapped girl.

 _Save me! I don't want to die!_ For a second, the image of the unconscious blonde was replaced, with an equally blonde girl his age, bloody and teary eyed with a hand reaching for him. Narrowed eyes followed the slashes path, in another burst of speed, the boy blurred before the girl, arms crossed in an X-stance.

Multiple slashes impacted against the boy, explosions enveloped the hostage and her 'saviour', eliciting a hearty laugh from the captain over his presumed victory. "Hahaha, you stupid brat, I'm the strongest pirate in the seas, I'm not gonna be taken down by some snot nosed punk thinking he can take the big leagues."

That was until the smoke was cleared away by a violent swipe of wind, showcasing the heavily injured boy with bleeding arms, standing before a completely fine girl, having awoken from the sounds.

Surprised filtered into her features when she witnessed the boy before he swipe his hands to the side, flicking blood across the floor, yet steam could be seen emitting from the wounds. Opting to once again lunge against the captain, the boy adopted a stance where his fist was by his side, the other open-palmed aimed towards the captain.

Dashing forwards once more, the captain snarled and swung overhead to crush the pesky boy daring enough to face him, the boy instead reached out with his outstretched palm to grab onto the sword, bleeding as a result but halting the momentum entirely. Using the opportunity, he swung with a roar and struck the captain square in the chest, crashing him through several wood walls as a result.

"Argh! Wait! P-P-Please, spare me! I'll give you anything you want, just please let me live! You want that right? You're young and powerful, so join me! Together we can rule the seas, imagine all that power, all the riches and women for you!" A proposition offered on last legs as the captain trapped by debris betted on his last attempt.

The child's facial structure concocted into one of furious anger, "...people like you…I despise the most. You are trash, a useless existent, a weak individual that cannot survive with his own power, I shall eliminate you." A swift impalement to the chest incurred the captain's last breath, as the boy sheathed his claws.

"For the record, even if I considered your proposition…I survive alone."

Panting slightly from the battle, the boy examined his wounds, pleased to know his healing factor was kicking in. His attention was drawn towards the now struggling girl, giving him a grateful and relieved look, eyes pleading to help release the restraints. Moving forwards, he used a single nail to cut through, only to be immediately tackled into a hug by the girl.

 _What is it with girls and hugs... and why did I even save her?_ Questioned the boy as he removed himself roughly from the girls clutches, greeted by starry-eyed eyes.

"Thank you for saving me! I would have died if it wasn't for you! Hey, how did you get so fast just now! Wait…IS THAT A TAIL?!" her overtalkative act stopped as she squealed and jumped for his midnight black tail with white tips, which was swishing about in a lazy dance. Quick to shift it out of the way, the girl pouted as she got up from her rough pounce.

"Anyway, my name is Jenny Realight, nice to meet you." She waved exuberantly, eyes still trailing onto the stiff tail.

"I do not have a name, refer to me as Nine." The boy spoke before turning 180, walking towards a groaning crew member. Jenny, somewhat surprised by the cold treatment, opted to observe her saviour later, her priority would be the children on board with her when the pirates kidnapped them.

"Where the hell am I?" slurred the dazed pirate, only to be stunned still when he felt a sharp prick against his neck.

"I have killed your whole crew except for you, you will sail us back to Fiore now, or I will kill you like the rest of the trash." whispered ominously by the demonic looking child, hasty eyes travelled and widened in fear, noting the corpses of his captain and crew members.

"A-all right, just please, don't kill me!" hands up in response, the boy gestured to the wheel. Quick to move lest his life was forfeited like the rest, he noticed the group of children they kidnapped escaping their restraints, all eyeing him with anger. Jenny was the first to notice, already moving to engage the lone pirate, only paused by the outstretched hand blocking her path.

"Do you know how to control this ship? Do you know how to get back to Fiore? If not, shut up and get back." He inquired rudely, earning a frown from the blonde girl.

"Listen here mister, you may have saved my life, but it doesn't mean you can boss me around." She huffed as she jabbed her saviour in the chest, not incurring any form of reaction at all. Instead, he was eyeing the pirate, who had tried to reach for a sword in their distraction, but flumped under the cold stare.

 **XxX**

"We're reaching Fiore soon…hey… please cut me some slack, I-I mean I'm just a follower, I had to follow orders or I would've died, I didn't have a choice. I don't want to go to prison, I still have my life ahead for me, please don't send me to the army." Pleaded the pirate/hostage as the coastline could be seen, kneeling before the young children before him.

Eyes greeted one another, silent questions were raised from the eye contact, and murmuring began in the tiny group, finally electing Jenny as their representative. "Why should we forgive you? So you're saying we don't have a choice as well? We didn't ask to be kidnapped, you made your choice, and you have to deal with it."

Tears sprouted from the supposed follower, yet he nodded stiffly, resigned to his fate led by the very children he kidnapped. "Hey Nine, why do you have a tail? Are you some kind of human animal? I want a tail too!" once again, nine had to restrain himself from lashing out against the overly excitable girl, already having foiled multiple attempts at touching his tail.

"I do not need to answer any of your questions, or rather you would not believe me." Nine answered back with a small sigh, growingly increasingly annoyed when she had rounded up the kids to aid in her attempts earlier.

"Can anyone hear us?! We have the money here! Just please, give me back my baby girl!" a female voice broke the silence, earning a reaction from Jenny, who shuffled towards the railings. After spotting her target opted to give a wave of recognition, also slightly teary.

"I do not understand, you are strong, you do not back down from your captors, you remain strong for others when they are weak, and yet you cry, why?" nine inquired as Jenny wiped her tears with her sleeves.

"Huh? What do you mean? I'm crying because I am happy, I'm safe and back home, my parents are happy to see me, so I'm happy!" replying as if it was the dumbest questioned asked. The boat crashed against the dock rather roughly, collapsing most of the balance but was finally anchored to land. Jenny began guiding many of the children of the ship, igniting cries and relieved shouts, many adults raced towards their individual child in a bout of tears and sniffles.

"Mama! Papa!" Nine's attention turned to Jenny as she was scooped up into a crushing hug by her parents, both equally in tears, joyously enjoying their reunion. Slowly reaching for his chest, the lone boy remaining on the ship, overlooking the emotional scene before him, blatantly noting the lack of change to himself.

Nine ceased his observations, leaping off the ship and landing on the other side, away from all the commotion. Eyeing the mountain regions, he set his destination and walked off in a quick brisk, only noticed by a single individual.

"Hey Nine, wait, don't go yet!" unfortunately, her voice did not reach in time and he vanished.

"…I wanted to become friends with you, my foxy hero." She mumbled quietly, earning the attention of her parents, subsequently recounting the tale to them. It was agreed amongst the group that they would name their hero, the Black Fox, a name soon to be heard in numerous other towns.


	3. An Unlikely Meeting

**Hello once again, I apologize for the late submission for the new chapter, studies were clogging up my time and lately I just couldn't find the right motivation to write down any sensible reads, so do be warned that my future chapters might not be submitted on a daily interval of two weeks. It could range from easily one week to a month if I could minimize time intervals. But fret not, as I would try my hardest to submit stories of my best conceivable quality.**

 **Disclaimer: Ownership has been clarified to their original owners. I'm not even sure if I have to proceed with writing this statement furthermore.**

 **A/N: Apologies, there seems to be a problem with the recent chapter as Fanfiction website had somehow negated me from acessing my third chapter, so i I have to republish the story.**

* * *

An Unlikely Meeting

After a riveting experience enclosing around the hybrid child, deciding not to dwell upon needless celebrations as the town folks had quickly come to call it. He was thankful that they paid no attention to him as he maneuvered around the dashing citizens to witness the ensuing commotion.

It was not that he did not wish to engage in further conversation with Jenny, far from it, despite her less than ideal hyper activeness that was somewhat expected on a child her age, she displayed intelligence superior than the others trapped in the same hell.

His first target on his list was to find a library, places that were said to contain knowledge of a thousand years, said to hold great secrets and were widely accessible to the public. In order to begin his journey, he required a clear understanding of the land and its inhabitants.

However, he did not do crowds. Never. He preferred isolated areas where he could observe without external influence annoying him, fear of loneliness within the cages had forced him to appreciate the emptiness and silence, only enjoying personal connections after a brain-pounding day. Within those four walls, stories were exchanged, books were supplied to us to ensure our intelligence could keep up with whatever grueling test they devised to our suffering.

Recalling a helpful tip from a section detailing survival skills, a necessity after a plan was formulated on that unforgettable day, mountains aided in scouring the land. With his superior eyesight, he could cover the surrounding land in one glance, assisting in his decision for his next destination. Standing on the edge of towering gates, perched himself onto the pikes in one swift jump, platforming off onto trees with gusto.

With his agile body and leg strength, tree hopping was an easily accomplishable task, it was a much better form of travel since the dark grooves of forest offered little to no feasible path to navigate through. Crouching onto a specific branch in a pounce, he bolted upwards in a tremendous leap, releasing retracted claws to pierce through oak wood as a grip point.

Piercing claws marked their way upwards the great olden tree, foreseeably much larger than the other, towering over the rest thus giving the best vantage point. Perched on the very peak of the tree, balanced by surprisingly durable twigs that should not have supported his weight, eyes narrowed towards the base of the mountain route.

In another leap, he covered half the distance whilst destroying part of the ancient tree, landing onto another tree simply meant as a platform. Finally clearing the distance, he leans backward as the wind slapped across his face, knees bent as the earth was crushed under the speedy descent that would surely result in broken legs for people his age.

Sniffing the air, enthralled by the scent of nature, in comparison to tranquilizers and death, he followed the path most deviating from the rest. Walking at a moderate pace, he scanned the footprints trailing further down from him, stopping at a sign humorously large, and broadcasting a message.

 _The path ahead leads to Mt. Picas, be aware of sudden wind currents and creatures inhabiting the mountain, travel at your own risk._

"Hmm, what's a kid like you doing here? Don't you know it's dangerous to be near this mountain, there are monsters all over the place that could eat you!" a voice called out from behind him as he examined the sign, not showing any reaction of surprise as the scent gave it away earlier. The deeper voice belonged to an individual dressed in a blue shirt and gray pants, a matching ring and necklace were his only accessory, equipped with a hover sack as his hands were shaped into a 'scary' claw-like shape.

"Wrahh! …You…you aren't scared are ya?" his hair was an ocean deep blue as his face, a cross between a young adult and a mature man as stubble could be seen on his chin. His face was initially set into a mockery of an animals roar, then it shifted into a one of unsettled embarrassment, nervously scratching the sides of his cheek.

"Damn, I thought I had it figured out, Romeo always fell for it, did I do something wrong?" he questioned aloud to himself, scratching the stubble on his chin, a far-off look in his eyes as he pondered the question.

"Ah, I know now! You should smile more kid, that blank face of yours creeps me out, come on, smile for Mr. Macao!" he clapped his hands together, giving a wide smile in close proximity, completely unaware of the deadpan expression given by the child. Shifting his hands, he slowly extended it in the same claw-like shape that Macao had shown, right into his face.

Macao eyed the clawed shaped hand blinkingly, unaware of what the seemingly 'harmless' child in front of him had expected of the mimicking action, was it a game he wanted to play? It wasn't a bad idea, to say the least, he knew how many children his age would be attracted to the mysterious and dangerous, often finding pleasure in causing havoc to their parents. What he intended was for him to scare the child away so that he could escort him away to safety or to his parents, unfortunately, this wasn't an ordinary child he was facing.

It was only thanks to reflexes honed through the years, and some personally trained from dodging projectiles aimed at him from his beloved wife during her 'moody' days, that he leaned back just enough to avoid the sudden protrusion of dangerously gleaming nails. Of course with his entire structure relaxed around a child, he had allowed his guard down completely, surprise was a given as he yelped backward.

"What the hell?!" indiscriminately eyeing the child once more, this time, his attention shifted to the lazy tail sprouting from the abdomen, eliciting a lifted eyebrow of curiosity. Macao had seen many things from his days as a mage, from evil wizards wishing to revive demons to old grannies attempting to seduce him after a job well done, it was expected that few things would surprise the veteran mage.

However, this was a first. A child. Barely of age with the kids back in the guild, had animalistic features to the point where said features could be called on instinctively, was he a hybrid mix between a human and animal? He sensed no magic in play, so it wasn't a form of take-over magic. Macao pondered the question, comparing him to that of Natsu, a recent addition to the guild that claimed to have a dragon for a parent. Already displaying noteworthy feats of said dragon abilities, Macao was inclined to believe so, so an animal child should hardly be a surprise, right?

There was already the tail, jet black and uncharacteristically narrow, the shape and fur already pointed to a feline family, a fox perhaps? The razor sharp claws were another hint towards his conclusion if he could judge if he bared the supposed ears of a fox atop the mop of black hair, probably concealed. Lastly, the feline family was shown to possess linear and narrow pupils, which now that he looked at it, his eyes were red, slightly narrow and…close?

Macao merely tilted his head as he stared broadly at the eyes gazing at him, such scary eyes did not belong to such a child, the pools of scarlet resembled hell's fury if he were honest with himself. Remaining mute whilst observing the child now scurry towards the hover sack he carried, now slumped in a heap on the ground from earlier, and immediately began ransacking the inventory.

While slightly shocked, Macao was equal parts amused and decided to play along, "You know, when looking through other people's stuff, you have to ask them and say please?" he gestured playfully to the wide cluster of items thrown randomly about, obviously not what the child desired

"…please?" his monotonous voice spoke out as his movements stiffed, confusion rang about with the question.

"Yeah…you know, being polite and all that, you gotta say please to be polite to others, especially your seniors like me!" pointing grandly in a pose towards his chest, Macao masked his true intentions with his playful banter.

 _A kid his age not knowing what please is, must be an orphan, his clothes look ragged and his confused look when going through my stuff. This kid obviously has no one looking after him, would the Master mind if I bring him in?_ Macao mused with contemplation as he observed the child finally satisfied with his find, filtering through a map of Fiore.

"Where is the nearest town…please?" his question caused a small twitch on Macao's face, forming into a small smile.

"Good kid, you're learning. Hmm…let's see now, if we're talking about distance, LittleGroove town just north from here should be the closest, we can cover the distance in a couple of hours before night comes-"Macao was forced to cease his directory when the mountainside exploded with a loud roar, a large head resembling a reptiles peered through the opening, leering at the closest source of food, which happened to be Macao.

"DAMN IT! Hey kid, stay behind me, and whatever you do, don't move away from me, understand?" already prepped with a dark purple magic circle circling his palms, he turned to address his apparently deemed young charge, only to blink owlishly when he noted the missing boy, and his missing map.

"What the hell?! Where did he go? Damn it, he must have gone to the town! EAT THIS! …Tsk, I should've warned the kid, that town is magic-phobic if I'm right… I need to hurry!" Macao gawked in fear of the missing child, grunting as he unleashed a volley of purple flames that struck the oversized reptile, doubling in his efforts to save the child from a cruel fate.

 **XxX**

Acquiring the map from the strange man, Nine followed the instructions given, hopping from trees as he tracked the path to the closest town. Nine had examined the map after escaping from the strange man called Macao, it displayed the many towns around Fiore, showing the likely population of 17 million, also, there were arrow markings traced down to circle around a town called Magnolia, his home perhaps?

 _100m to LittleGroove, our town in the forests! All travelers are welcomed!_

A sign carved into a directed arrow appeared steadily as Nine skidded to a halt, it had a small smudge of paint hastily wiped off, noting through enhanced vision that there was indeed civilization ahead, ambled in moderation while contemplating his next motion of tasks.

He had crafted a mental list dedicated to what his life was granted, simple and short since he was very much aware how fragile the value of life was. The first dedicated his time and journey to seek out towns where they had libraries in stock, to inquire and learn as much as possible about Fiore. Secondly, he was to use that acquired knowledge to travel. He was finally granted freedom, the ability of free travel, and after witnessing numerous forms of emotions circulating through a human expression, he wanted to see more, he was an observer after all.

He was a realist, with a very materialistic type of thinking, where one form would lead to another. An example would be crying, something he had personified as the action of weakness and sorrow, yet he had recently learned that crying was also expressed as a form of happiness, it was intriguing, to say the least. Then there was death, when acknowledged by death, a person would feel disheartened, frightened at the prospect of eternal sleep, already proven by the pirate slaver on the ship.

Scanning the thick lugs of wood stacked against one another to form a fence with sharp points at the peak, he walked forward through the gates enclosing the town from the outside world, to be immediately hit with sounds of chatter and smells of cooked food. Crowds were gathering around flamboyant sellers broadcasting goods to gullible buyers, kids were running amuck the streets with their cheers of childish amusement, it was a normal town at a glance.

However, as the gates creaked to a halt, eyes peered towards their newcomer, intending to welcome them with open arms, the town had a simple policy. They would welcome anyone in with open arms, nothing would be discounted from allowing tourists to enjoy their stay, as after all, it would generate more income if more people decided to visit more frequently.

But they also had their own share of rules, due to recent events circulating around the woodlands of bandits and mercenaries wielding the curse of magic, destroying property and lives as a result, they utterly despised mages. While rare, magic-phobic areas were rarely acquainted with the army that wielded magic as a counter-deterrent, it was a lost cause since they could not count on them for protection when they feared them as much as they do bandits.

 _If you were a mage, either leave immediately or get driven out with force._

Thus, eyes instantly narrowed, with fear and anger in the mix. Children were hushed, whispers were exchanged, and public bards strung a sour note in conjunction with their testy mood. Ignorant of the stares, however, he marched forward into the public square, intent on noting the possible sign of library anywhere.

With the map safely tucked underneath his arms, he frowned slightly when no possible indications amongst the sea of signs led to the possibility of a library, should he have asked the strange man earlier for a library instead? He pondered to himself in his state of nonchalance, only aware of the stares when a towering figure shadowed over his entirety.

"Could you direct me to the library here?" he inquired with slight confusion at the expression spread across the faces, anger and fear were common. They reminded him of days better left unknown within his mind, better to be locked up and swept under the rug, lest the _monster_ comes out.

His body tensed when a burly fist struck down inches from where his head once stood, narrowly dodging it with instincts. Did he do something wrong? He had only asked for directions, not inducing any form of hostility nor aggression, was it because he did not say please? Was this the situation where 'please' was to be used?

"…Please?" the child remarked with uncertainty, hoping that the lesson learned would prove useful in this sense.

"…Get out." The gruff and deep voice accented with a countryside tone spoke in a barely audible level, only reaching the ears of the two individuals currently standing alone within the central square.

 _Get out?_ Had he done something wrong beyond his scope of attention? No. He was aware of his every move, and nothing warranted such a response, was this town not welcoming as indicated by the sign earlier?

"Don't you understand?! Get out you monster!" another fist aimed to struck, but this time, it connected. Despite the superior physique the child possessed, his body still paled in comparison to one in the prime of his life, packed with muscles put to good use, this was the guardian of LittleGroove. His head whipped to the side as saliva spluttered from his guffawed expression, face set into one of confusion and guilt.

 _Monster?_

 **XxX**

" _Subject 9 has been sedated to primal levels, instincts are running haywire, are you sure this is most wise to conduct the test, sir?"_

" _Hmph, as if your inferior skulls could understand the importance of such requirements, I wish to witness the revolution of a new generation, now commence the test sequence!"_

"… _Understood, sir. Release the test subjects!" a voice buzzed through a microphone, gears and steam could be heard as doors were flung open._

" _Give me that! Now children, as you can tell, you've been brought here for a very important reason, I'm afraid it seems that your usefulness has come to end. However, being the generous man that I am, I'm giving you all a second chance, to be free and live your pathetic lives once again!" cries of disbelief and muffled tears of despair were hushed by the screech piercing through the speakers._

" _Good, now that I have your attention, please turn your eyes towards the main door. You should feel honored to witness a historical event, be proud knowing that you were once able to glimpse into a possible future! Now behold, my creation!" with a flick of a button, the doors slid open painfully slow, harvesting the waves of despair and abandonment in the testing room._

 _A roar blasted through the doors, claws dug themselves into reinforced steel, tearing through like wet paper. Hazy red eyes shifted into existence as snarls and growls of animalistic nature filtered through the hearts of many, images forever embedding themselves into the minds of unlucky individuals, and lost souls freed from their torment by the hands of their own._

" _Now then, subject 9!" ruby eyes flashed in recognition._

" _Kill them." Spoken so quickly and sudden as if it was an inconvenient topic of discussion, the words hung heavily upon the gathered children. It was on that day that many scientists chose to forgo their pursuit of knowledge in exchange for eternal slumber to quell the nightmares revolving around a broken child kneeled in a sea of blood._

 _They chose to forget the very monster they created._

 **XxX**

The child's face fixed into one of immense guilt, eyes morphed into slitted eyes once more, seemingly rooted to the spot as the guardian's word were ignored. Infuriated eyes honed in on the child's expression, instantly on guard when the eyes shone through demonically, easily sending a sense of premonition running wild in his instincts.

This child…no, monster was on the loose within his beloved town, as its guardian it was his duty to uphold the safety of the people, even if he had to end the life of a seemingly harmless child, his fear resounding the ears fought against resolve and sanity of killing a child.

Ready to unsheathe the sword strapped to his back, only used in situations where a bandit raid or the town's folk were threatened, he paused when he saw the dainty rock fleeting through the wind, smacking across the child with a solid smack. Immediately, eyes trailed towards the hand extended outwards in a throw, belonging to another child with average features, a sneer spread across his face.

"Get out of here, demon!" while it was uncalled for to accuse another of such names, the boy had his family killed before his eyes by bandits, introduced to the harshness of reality and developed a deep and insatiable thirst for vengeance against magic users. With no other option except his words and the movement of arms, he unleashed a connecting wave of sensibility amongst the townsfolks.

Jeers were encouraged, others followed in their attempts to drive the monster of a child obviously wielding magic, judged by the extra appendages on his body. It was inevitable that such accusations would sprout since it was very unlikely that an animal child would be birthed, let alone one with such demonic eyes that aided their needless judgment.

"Leave and never come back!"

 _I have procured some weapons for your futile attempt for survival, so try, try with the most fragile of efforts to survive and never leave your home!_

"I'll kill you, you monster! This is for my family!"

 _Why are you doing this?! Stop! Don't kill us….Monster!_

"Are you going to strike us down like the monsters you are!?"

 _I thought we were friends! We were going to get free together, are you going to kill me like the rest of these monsters?_

"You can't be human, you're a demon, and an abomination should be killed!"

 _Sir, that child…no, demon shouldn't be left alive, it could kill us all if we let it roam free!_

"Godo, quickly kill the monster before it kills us all!"

 _We have to kill it before it kills us!_

With every accusation came an object meant to inflict damage, ranging from swords to rocks, all were tools used with the intent to kill. It was thanks to the boy's regenerative properties that the wounds started healing, the steam wafting from the wounds, the hazy red eyes peering through the cloud increased their desire.

Every discriminatory term they incited with their anger fuelled rage brought the young child back to what could be described as the hell zone. He felt the same words echo with a screech, each rock thrown brought the image before him to one of red painted walls with static impulse, heart beat raced as his own breath fought to keep pace.

 _No! I'm not a monster!_

 **Monster! Demon! Killer! Abomination!**

Voices kept locked up in a safe cocoon of impenetrable mental prison broke through the tiny crack offered by a chance encounter, now free to indulge in their mischief, and what better way than to haunt the very person who locked them in the first place. Previous attempts at understanding and connecting with the world had led him astray, led him to yield the walls he had placed for the duration of his sane mind, as his curiosity and innately childlike mind seek the object of interest.

 _He had grown 'soft'. From the sudden grant of freedom to human connections with others. He had unknowingly lowered his mental walls._

" **Hehehe, looks like your mind isn't as strong as you thought, I told you that you couldn't keep me locked up forever, I will return! Now, let's have a little fun, shall we? They want to know what a monster is, let's show them what a real** _ **monster**_ **is!"** a maniacally cackling voice echoed through his ears, the drums boomed within and caused a massive delusion to take place.

 _No, I've locked you! You cannot return!_ Knees collapsed as blood spilled from his nostrils from excruciating pain and pressure upon his mind, arms clutched onto bundles of hair, mouth wide in a silent scream once more. Another blow from a fist impacted the child's temple, driving him further into a delirious state as he scrambled to his feet.

"Get up! I'm gonna kill you, but not without a struggle, I want to see your eyes filled with despair when you know death as you lose hope, just like we did!" the giant man split the earth with his broadsword, calming awaiting his opponents next move.

"…no…" arms tightened around his lithe body, drawing blood as movements stiffened in shock, eyes shifted towards the slowly inching arm against his command.

"What was that?! Speak up before I kill you, speak your last words!"

"…Run…run…I don't…want to…kill…you." A soft murmur spoke in a transfixed state.

" **Ah, but they are trying to kill you, so we should kill them before they kill us!"**

" _No, they're innocent! I don't want to kill innocent people anymore!"_

" **Oh really? Are they really innocent though? They plan to kill you ya know? And others also, so it will be the right thing to kill them to** _ **protect**_ **others, no more death eh? We wouldn't want the same** _ **incident**_ **occurring, now would we?**

" _No more…death?"_

" **That's right kid, no more, so relax and let me help"**

" _Ok"_

 **XxX**

If one were observant enough or possessed incredible magical sensing abilities, they would have noticed the slight quirk amidst the sea of clouds, a slight deviation from the norm, as if something was camouflaged. But who would be stubborn or lazy enough to stare endlessly into the clouds? Life had better meaning than to do so.

However, it was precisely that reason which the object chose to roam the skies, enemies could sail the winds but they would be visible, any form of tracking system would lock onto the possible visual image of potential enemies, but this machine negated that very system. Equipped with engines that ran on pure magical power converted to fuel source, but the special indication as to why it was used zoomed into the recyclable system installed.

In that machine, whatever enters doesn't leave, all magical input will be completely converted, negating the purpose of tracking any magical source leaving the machine, a marvel of a creation that took years to develop, only an ingenious mind could craft such a metal contraption. Another invention was the barrier enveloping the transportation, reflecting all light save for the bare minimum to enter from the outside yet capable of allowing light to pass through from the inside, it was the perfect camouflage.

Where computers and wires were abundant, stood many workers shuffling about to maintain the system, lest they incur the wrath of their master. They were tasked to monitor any form of disturbance to the system in the chance where it became disrupted, and the only way to disrupt the system besides manual deactivation?

 _An overload of magical pressure within the vicinity._

The barrier ran on magical power, so if a source had enough magic to override the system's initial input, the whole system would shut down. Which was taught to every individual running the technological department, they never questioned, only listened and obeyed, following their master's every word.

Their master was a god in human skin, a monster of a man that could liberate the world with his power, yet he chose not to, never giving a reason as to why he chose to stall the inevitable. His power and invention kept the whole transportation running, his magical reserves powered by his creation boosted it to nigh unfathomable levels, and it was thought to be insurmountable.

 _Until today._

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?! GIVE ME A STATUS REPORT!" a man dressed in a lab coat barked out orders as his subordinates scrambled around pulling papers and filtering through data readings, each reading incited more gasps and whispers. It was too much to handle, his temper was through the roof, and he had just gotten into the master's good books, today was not the day to ruin that faith.

As he marched towards the growing crowd of pesky curious workers, the entire facility went black as lights and machines zapped to emptiness. A chill shivered through his spine, pupils dilated at the prospect of whatever punishments awaited him, shaking hands reached up to wipe the outbreak of sweat that had built up.

His only hope, his salvation to survive and remain in his good grace, the data readings. If he could decipher whatever caused the problems, he could rephrase the words and make it seem like a natural phenomenon, yes, that would be best. Pushing his way past several co-workers, he stumbled onto the pale face of his second-in-command, knuckles white from clutching the readings tightly.

"Dave, speak to me! What the hell was that about!" he bellowed loud enough to string Dave from his horror induced state.

"Y-you might want to take a look at this!" a curious brow lifted in perplexed opinion, what could be so bad that it scared him? Eyes roamed through the readings, showcasing the magical readings within the surrounding vicinity, initially there was nothing out of the ordinary, until it… _what_?

That's not possible! The energy readings cannot exceed _his_! Who can possess such amounts of magic so abruptly? No matter how much a person kept a lid on their magical reserves, the machine would be able to detect it and warn the ship, but this was as if the phenomenon appeared out of the blue!

"Give me satellite images for the last 10 minutes, and someone get a damn torchlight in here!" eyes scanned through once more, there was no mistaking it, for an indistinguishable minute, an explosion of magic power so enormous that it tore right through the barrier and shut the whole ship down, the backup system would activate but it would be awhile before the entire system ran again.

"Here are the pictures sir!" greedy hands plucked the images away, decisive eyes examined each picture, hoping to find any semblance to the outburst of magic, hopefully, to appease the master. Wait! There! But it wasn't possible! Nobody that age could come into possession of such magic pressure!

"Once the system comes back online, continue tracking the magic source, the master will want to know of this, if I find anything missing, it's on your heads!" pushing his way past the crowd, surprising them with the intensity surrounding those orbs, transfixed on delivering the message, his time to shine had come!

 _The master has to be warned!_

 **XxX**

Seated upon the cold steel throne, a weary and aged hand lifted in a stroking motion towards flowing white beard easily elongated to the torso, the creak of metal gauntlets filtered through the silence. Individuals stood across their superior in every form, watching his every motion, awaiting his decision in the current situation.

Wrinkled eyes kept shut as his other hand tapped across the armrest, creating a nauseous feeling to develop across the lower ranking members who cover before the master, the still silence only accompanied by the echoing tap was thankfully relieved by the sudden disruption of a questionably sane fool to barge into the main lobby.

Eyes hidden by masks trained onto the sole individual huffing in his desperate need of air, hungrily gulping the life source as he stumbled his way towards the master. His lab coat was torn at the hems, likely hindered by an obstacle and forcefully pulled, his hands clutched tightly onto several documents like a lifeline. His previously pure white coat was stained gray with accumulated sweat, turning a prim and proper gentleman to an undignified popper.

Knees wobbled in their sheer desire to collapse, only to be released from their agony once his feet clattered onto an appropriate distance, without any involvement the doctor fell once more in a kneeling position, body having committed multiple times in the motion that it became reflexive.

Panting once more to regain his breathe, a decisive moment in his life to regain face, "My…lord, we have discovered a strange output of magic coming from an individual within the vicinity in the last 10 minutes, here are the readings, my lord." Arms inclined forward, holding the documents in a manner befitting of a slave bestowing his life's treasure to a king.

A slight hum escaped wrinkled lips, arms barely requiring to move reached towards the documents, roaming through them with an impassive glance. "My lord, the data readings show that the output source was able to bypass the system's detection system, ascending to a level that exceeded the barriers magic input in a span of one minute. According to satellite images, the source belonged to a boy barely ten, an explosion enveloped the child before turning into…an unknown creature." He ended his report with an audible gulp, the silence surrounding them was deafening, eyes turned wide or shifted about uncomfortably, each already having a vague idea of their master's strength.

 _Now here comes a boy, a tenth of their master's age, possessing magic far outstripping anything they've seen, they were within their rights to freak out._

Inwardly each individual was screaming, shouting at their disbelief at the supposed readings provided by the department, it was the wise thing to do. The last time someone had the gall to disrupt their master's peace ended up vaporized into nothingness with a simple click of a word and a pointed finger, lessons were learned and nobody desired the misfortune to undergo the same punishment.

"How…interesting." A faint smile graced his features, resembling something akin to reminiscence of happier times, eyes displaying nothing but a gleam of interest.

"It seems yet another has fallen into my hands, perhaps this is _its_ doing…an opportunity such as this, how should I proceed? …Provide me the documents in the likely location the magic source is located, I will be heading down." A collective gasp was issued as their master stood upon facades of old age, possessing a body still capable of massive damage despite its apparent age.

"Master, would it be better for me to go, I wish to test this child, to possess such potential, how high can he fly? Or rather how high can he make me fly?" a slightly rushed voice was addressed to the master, the voice belonging to an individual in the shadows, only displaying a visible cloth around black hair tied into a ponytail.

"Patience boy, I too would like to witness his abilities. Send us down." The master addressed his orders to another individual standing by the throne, obliging with a clap of their hands, the master and his subordinate flickered in a flash, vanishing before the eyes of a groaning lab scientist, having just received the coordinates and further readings.

 _Cursing his luck once more, he endeavored to assist his master in every manner possible._

 **XxX**

"My instincts were right, such destruction, and such malice in his strikes. The scent of freshly burnt corpses still linger in the air, the dying screams still echo in the wind, it was quick, it was deadly. Such magnificent conquest, he is worthy to fly." With the sunlight finally shining upon the two individuals, the situation bared its fangs as they scrutinized the gaping crater that once belonged to a quaint little village wishing to live their lives in solitude and peace.

The reflection of the sun showcased the speaker, bearing a smile of glee, restrained anxiety and a rush of adrenaline as evident by the bloodshot eyes lurking around, searching for the creator of the wasteland. He was a tall, muscular man with extremely long dark hair, barely visible eyebrows with the most iconic feature of bushy triangle sideburns angled upwards.

Dressed in a light-colored, sleeveless cloth, extended past his knees on both sides, yet held tightly around the waist with a red sash. The bottom cloth was symbolized with a stylized dark-coloured sun while the upper cloth was decorated with twin dark wings extending sideways. Over the entire outfit, a bright colored overcoat was draped over his shoulders like a cape, preferring to tuck his arms out of his sleeves.

"For a child, he possesses impressive pressure, I still feel it even from here, not even Zancrow creates such destruction in his strikes, Bluenote, I grant you permission to detain and test this boy. Test his limits, it appears we may have a new recruit for the seven kin." The elderly master swatted his hand in a direction, having sent out a pulse of magic to seek out his target of interest, directing his subordinate whose smile threatened to split his face.

"Yes, Master Hades." With those simple words, the ground caved in with spider cracks, a blue blur flew by as the master appeared undisturbed by the events, choosing to merely sigh and amble along the path of his unruly subordinate.

Spotting the lone individual perched across the hillside, crouched like an animal as low growls emitted from it, reddish like miasma leaked from the barely perceivable boy through the thick energy. Pupils a hazy red in slits, hair elongated with red tips, the miasma formed into a shape of an animal with noticeable ears and a pair of twin tails alongside the lone black attached to the boy.

Bluenote smirked as he could feel the pressure exuded by the boy alone, causing his blood to boil in excitement, his adrenaline to rush matched his growing urge to simply do combat, such was his desire that he immediately began to expand his magic upon the field. The boy's head snapped towards his direction, possibly alerted by the incoming attack, he turned to move but halted as he felt the effects pressed upon him.

A white like shadow descended from the heavens, imposing its will upon every organism in the vicinity of its command, a heavy presence crushed the earth, an invincible force weighed upon the child as he slammed towards the earth by the attack. Bluenote frowned when he realized that the child faltered from his attack while he had infused it with perhaps more than half which would kill an ordinary man, mushing their remains into the earth in a distorted pile, he had expected more.

 _Were my hopes too expectant? Was he like the others, a failure rooted to the earth like ants?_ He mused to himself when he upped the scale of effect his magic had upon the child, now more so intending to test the limits of the child like the master had requested. Possessing the magic of Gravity, he could affect anything within his grasp by increasing or decreasing the gravitational pull, granting him immense offensive and defensive capabilities.

 _No. That's right. Show me. Time to fly!_ Bluenote found his smirk growing in proportion as he witnessed the child withstanding his attack, which was already a noteworthy feat on its own, but now seem to fight against it. Steadily the child up righted himself on stiff movements, as his face settled into a snarl of effort, red eyes loomed towards Bluenote in sheer fury influenced by certain factors.

Bluenote found himself shivering from the look of pure death gazing upon him, finding himself reminiscing the only time where he experienced a similar feeling when he had first witnessed the full extent of his master's power. A slow chuckle escaped his lips, turning into full blown laughter as he bellowed into the heavens, stopping abruptly as he decided to finally unleash the full extent of his magic.

The earth turned to dust as the boy was pressured further yet remained forcing himself upright, finally setting upon a stiff standing position. However, the boy began to fall forwards, forcing Bluenote to frown once more. "Is this truly all which you possessed? I am disappointed, I had expected-"he was forced to halt himself, bringing up hasty arm up as he blocked the punch by the red blur that send him flying through solid rock.

Blinking owlishly as he descended like a rocket to the earth, he molded his magic to cushion his landing as the earth caved in, stretching his arm outwards, noting the sting on the area where the boy struck. Eyes turned towards the boy glancing upon him, perched atop the hillside now with three ominous tails swishing behind him.

"I was sent flying? Me? How wonderful!" his grin grew absolutely gleaming as he jerked his cape off, settling into a stance with his palms outstretched facing the child who had settled into another crouching position. Sending out a crushing force of pure gravity, trees were uplifted as a result and the air exploded towards the child. In response, the child simply opened his jaw, roaring with absolute authority as a shockwave of air was sent outwards towards the incoming attack.

The attacks exploded upon contact and create a dome of explosion that destroyed anything within its range, not disheartened in the slightest, Bluenote flew past the explosion with his fist cocked back, a hazy white aura surrounding his fist. With his opponent in sight, he let loose with a battle cry as a visible cone of white aura descended upon the still child with nigh instant speed.

The result was the entire hillside destroyed and the child sent shooting into the earth as a red blur, not allowing his opponent to recover, Bluenote clamped his fists together above his head. " **Gravity Hammer!** " swinging down with his magic-infused, the entire forest that held the child exploded and caved inwards till a massive crater the size of a small town appeared from the attack, where laying in the center was the same child protectively coated by his red energy.

Extending his mouth outwards, the child shifted his three tails towards the opening of his mouth and began gathering energy, a red ball of potent magic began to form and the earth fissured from the forming alone, swirling around in its destructive cocoon, the ball of energy was finally released towards what he perceived as the enemy.

Utilizing his magic defensively, Bluenote held his palms outwards, " **Repel!** " he shouted as an invisible wall of gravity acted defensively against the ball of menacing magic. Bluenote had not accounted for the pure destructive properties the seemingly harmless ball possessed and was forced to exert more than necessary as the ball exploded into a massive explosion that engulfed everything bar himself.

Gritting his teeth as Bluenote expanded his magic towards defending himself, ensuring the flames failed to reach him as the entire explosion was dissipated forcefully in a burst. "Yes! More! More! Fly higher!" Bluenote yelled as he descended to the earth, while the child flew upwards in a jump. Both opted to strike with their fists as the air was pushed outwardly from the collision of fists, appearing to be at a stalemate until the child was pushed back, albeit with struggle.

Infusing more magic, Bluenote struck the child once more with the full effect of his magic, crashing him downwards while Bluenote began gathering more magic. He hadn't had as much fun in such a long time, there was no contest he could find that could provide him the thrill to climb higher, to seek the very heavens themselves save for the master, but the old geezer would never contest to his whim, always spouting nonsense that his back was aching or something.

" _This child. Yes, this child. He will provide me the thrill."_

The cloud of smoke from the initial impact was forcefully cleared by the huge hand that appeared as an extension of the child's energy forming into a claw, mimicking its owner's form, the claw shifted into an attack. Bluenote crushed the earth with his landing, rocketing off the earth in preparation for another attack, until a pair of chains speared their way towards the child with blinding speed.

With successful connection, the child flailed about with his claw striking air in one swift motion before being crashed towards the earth once more. With a hasty assertion, the child stood on hind legs, prepared for its other attacker, which was until he eyed the strange rings filled with runes surrounding him.

" **Amaterasu: Formula 57!** " an aged voice spoke up past the clearing, the rings glowed and engulfed the child in a purple explosion.

"Master?! Why did you interfere in our fight? Didn't you want me to test the child?" Bluenote addressed his master, with visible irritation and frustration as he gazed towards the explosion.

"It was enough, he withstood your attacks at their maximum power and emerged harmless due to that red energy coating him, possessing significant strength and speed, he will suffice as a suitable candidate. Likewise, the attack was enough to damage you uncharged." Hades spoke as the explosion cleared and showcased the aftermath, the boy stood bent knee as only one tail remained in effect, and even then it appeared to be on the verge of flickering away. Bluenote lifted his arms, now aware of the three thin gashes along the sides of his arm, leaking minuscule blood.

"Hoh, impressive, to withstand a magic draining spell, I wonder what you possess young child?" Hades spoke up as the energy finally gave away and the child collapsed in a heap, face pale and sweating from exertion on his part.

Hades glanced towards the partially remaining hillside, having avoided Bluenote's attack earlier, now receiving three long gashes in a form of claws scarred onto it. "Or perhaps, I should call you…the **Beast** , how crude that such power would belong to a child. Come Bluenote, carry the boy and let us depart!"

In a flash, the two plus child dissipated in a flash, unaware of the quick scurry of feet where another individual arrived on the scene, eyes wide in disbelief as he examined the once lush forests now charred into a wasteland. Macao Conbolt arrived on the scene, having dealt with the monsters, rushing towards the town or what remained of it as he witnessed the explosions and also on the lookout for the child from before.

"What the hell happened here?!"

* * *

And so comes to the end of Chapter 3, I have read your reviews and found some good ones, but overall I wish to stick to my original idea of putting my MC into Grimoire Heart, it has so much potential to cover. Like what exactly were the keys to unlocking their supposed belief of Zeref's awakening? Or even yet, what was their connections and relationship with the other dark guilds like? What even were their personal connections and behaviors to allies and enemies?

I feel that Hades was a very flawed character who had the potential to actually make some sense in his own beliefs, but just failed to express them. Like how had he influenced his own guild members, how had their relationship even began? I intend to create some connections in time, so as to entertain the idea that Fairy Tail's enemy structure isn't just some conjured up character, but actually someone of possible connections.

In turn, I hope to stick with the justifiable act of continuing my story as fast as possible. And as best as I can possibly conjure up.

Thank you all for your support and reviews.

Double T


	4. Clarity of the Heart

**Hello once again, apologies for the late submission, I'm in college now. Busy schedule accompanied by the compelling need to attain a good score has robbed me of the same desire and passion I once began this story with. Nonetheless, I will attempt to at least produce a quality peace of work in the coming days, since my approach is to my knowledge far different that what I have seen so far on this website.**

 **I do simply wish to tackle the simplistic manner that the canon storyline faces, I wish to abhor it, to craft a new story that I hope would appease myself and other readers. Therefore, I bid thee farewell, till the next time another chapter is published.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Clarity of the Heart**

How fast do rumours spread?

How fast does information travel from one individual to another?

Was it an innate system within the human body, programmed to relay information at the first sign of interest?

Perhaps.

Within the confinements of a single room which could barely count as one, occupying space as large as a hall. Filled with several luxurious ornaments and furniture, individuals filled the room as they went about their sole tasks, none speaking a single word until a snap of a book signaled the start.

"You've heard the news, master got his hands on another potential candidate, this time, the person managed to fight on par with Bluenote, and I saw the bruises on him. And Bluenote rarely ever gets hurt in a fight. Looks like we have a wild card on our hands." A purple haze surrounds the speaker as a clink of spectacles unfolding could be heard.

"Is the person a girl? Is she cute? Is she pretty?" a rather muffled sentence escaped the occupant on the right, face obscured by mountains of food stacked up on plates.

"No, you idiot, didn't you hear what the crew members said, they said the person was a guy, a boy to be precise. He's even younger than us." The speaker still surrounded by the slowly dissipating haze spoke up, this time showcasing rather flamboyant movements.

"Heh, it doesn't matter, I don't care if he's a boy or girl or whatever, as long as he's strong! A guy who can fight with Bluenote is okay in my books!" an individual kicked up several tables and punched them to smithereens as he made his claim, facial features covered by the black flames enshrouding his fists.

"Agreed, I too am keen on seeing the individual, the dance of combat with him will be most wonderful! I can feel it. Has there been any news about our newest member?" another speaker spoke up, this time echoing through the room as his visage was missing.

"Not at the moment, Caprico has said that the boy was suffering from magic depletion from taking Master's magic, so he is recuperating at the moment." The relaxed sigh left the only female speaker in the room, lightly breathing against the wafts of delicate tea aroma.

"Damn, now I really want to meet this guy already, to tank one of master's magic and only suffer magic loss is sure to be tough! Oi, Azuma! Wanna go see the guy, I'm sure Caprico won't mind?!" the exuberant individual spoke up once more, this time allowing a glimpse of yellow spiky hair as he faced an unknown corner of the room.

"Zancrow, do you recall the last time you invited me to one of your 'adventures'? We got our asses kicked by Bluenote and Caprico…but knowing one's opponent is essential, I will follow!" a pair of eyes loomed upwards from the floor, till a mop of brown hair was seen as eyes narrowed, till they shifted into one of mild distaste with a touch of excitement.

"Hehehe, that's my man, anyone else wanna come along? The more the merrier, Caprico can't punish any of us if we go together!" Zancrow addressed the rest of the occupants, earning a moment of thought as simultaneously each of them halted their actions to follow alongside their comrade in arms.

"I swear, if we get into trouble, you owe me so much favours!" bespectacled eyes exuded a promise of dread as they eyed Zancrow.

"Aw pipe it down Rusty, besides Master wouldn't mind if we get to know our new buddy!" arms were slung around shoulders as they paced forwards.

"What do you think about this?" familiar brown hair belonging to the individual named Azuma questioned the lone female.

"I would lie if I say I wasn't interested, but it seems like a waste of time, he will come to us when the time comes." she spoke up with a shake of the head.

"And yet, you're still coming with us, ha!" Azuma snorted in response, joining with the rest of his male companions.

"…why do I even bother?" an annoyed sigh escaped the only female member as the room became void of its occupants.

 **XxX**

 _How long has it been since he witnessed the chamber that held so much, meant so much, yet mattered so little to the world at heart?_

A meeting, a first meeting between two individuals that were held against their will, forced together through a mad man's quest. Neither meant anything to the other in the beginning, if anything, the boy was constantly threatened with the prospect of eternal torture by its hands.

 _Then came the understanding, the situation at hand, the brutal truth that shattered any hopes and dreams they had._

Through the understanding and unrequited fury they both shared for the man responsible, they came to a compromise. The child was obviously suffering from the others presence, the other while lacking the empathy to care about the wellbeing of the child, understood the position it was in. In order to seal away that which caused harm, something must be used as a lock to keep it confined.

 _Something must be sacrificed to gain something._

Having already suffered enough and lived through the harsh reality that many of humanity choose to ignore, his capacity as a human being was diminished, and the chosen aspect as the lock was seen as fundamentally unimportant to the child. As a result, the child's identity as a human being was reduced further that to a shell, a former husk that embodied a living soul, a broken soul.

 _So why was something that was deemed useless by the child affecting the cage?_

The village. The stares. The cries of death and cruelty. The senseless need for comparing him to that of what they feared. A foreboding emotion had overcome the child minutes before the cruel reminder that the seal would eventually break one day, he was **afraid**. The memories came back clearer than ever, even though he had banished them to the darkest corners of his mind.

They reminded him of times where the human spirit could easily soar beyond all reaches, yet at the same time could be snuffed out like a candle. And through this struggle, this thing, this **creature** , was easily destruction incarnate and a closely breaking child was tasked to lock it. Nothing desired to be caged, and thus the creature sought to break the child even further than it was possible, to twist him into the suitable host.

"You once said that you were capable enough to lock it away, that you were strong enough after enduring through your hardships. I had expected better from you, to be sane after everything showed your tenacity, something that I haven't seen in a while." A familiar demonic voice echoed through the hallways of the sewer.

"Pathetic! Simply pathetic! You allowed words to influence you, words that you have faced a thousand times and came out unscathed! You allowed yourself to be controlled, to become the very thing you feared! Do you realise what your little stunt has done?" booming voice dripping with annoyance and venom addressed the child kneeled in the centre, eyes facing forwards with blankness. Momentarily, they were guilt-ridden with shame, only to be erased completely.

"That's right! You blew up a whole damn village, slaughtered everyone just like you did back in Bosco! Great job kid, you're becoming the very monster they once called you! Now get out my sight, your pathetic act was enough to piss me off!" with a quick flash, the child found himself covered by four black walls, familiar walls that he became acquainted with after so many years.

Shaking arms lifted upwards as his hands opened into an outward facing palm, a screen of sorts appeared before him, colours filtered through till they settled on an image. The image began playing like a video, showcasing the beginnings of his rampage, what he had done and the massacre he helped proceed.

Through it all, the child watched it unflinchingly, the blood and screams were all so familiar, so spine chillingly reminiscent of previous events that helped shaped the numbness towards such actions which would be defined as inhumane. After the final breath was snuffed out with a simple claw impalement through the chest of an unfamiliar face belonging to a young boy, the screen turned dark, obscuring the minuscule emotions displayed upon his face.

 _Utter guilt and sorrow._

Momentarily in that short breath of time. So quickly replaced by the blank look that was a norm in the outside world. The surroundings faded away once more, the waters dissipated into air, the room was lit up like a holiday event, with fire crackling in every corner. And right in the centre of it all laid a cage, a simple cage that could at best hold a wolf.

" **Well, well, look who decided to show up. How have ya been? As for me, I was having a fun time slaughtering all the folks, it was nice of you to let me have some fresh air, stretch out the kinks a little. You know, I find it funny how simple it is to trick you, I wonder what changed from the emotionless kid that stared down hell before?"** a shadowy voice escaped from the confinements, red eyes flashed through as they twinkled with mischief.

"I will admit, I had not foreseen myself letting you win the battle like this, however, rest assured, I will never allow myself to lose this battle of will." The child spoke defiantly albeit struggling slightly with his words, staring down the darkness itself.

" **Hoh~ A bold claim, let's see you live up to it!"** with a snap, the entire scenery changed.

 **XxX (Memories)**

"Such naughty children you have been, disobeying your parents like that, you need to be punished!" a crack of a whip, the burning sensation of nigh molten steel against flesh, the putrid stench of blood caked in the remains of several, and of course the screams.

"It is such a joy to see your faces like this, such despair, such turmoil, the emotions you must have felt when you realised you were betrayed by the one you trusted!" another pleading cry fell silent as a series of edged tools clinked to existence, whetstone against steel as eyes followed the movement hypnotically, entranced by their imminent demise.

"But we've gone through this before haven't we? The same pain, the same eyes, so…so…boring!" a masculine voice whined in what sounded like childish frustration.

A snap of a fingers triggered several eyes towards the sudden exposure of potential freedom from the hands of their torturer. "Ah, look at this, the keys of your salvation, right in front of you!" sapphire eyes stared hungrily at the object of his desire, limbs struggling futilely against shackles and chains.

"Ah, ah, ah! Not yet my boy, you have to fight for it, your freedom, just like the rest of them. You, my dear boy, have survived the longest without giving in, and for that you deserve a reward!" the realisation that his limbs were finally set free after the excruciating treatment kick-start his senses, immediately dashing towards his freedom.

However, before limbs could even take a step forward, a callous hand snaked itself around the neck of the boy, directly halting any motion. Lifting him with ease, bones cracked under the heavy pressure exerted by visible veins on the much larger hand. Breath hitched and gasped for air as his skin gradually turned to an unhealthy shade of purple.

Shifting the child closer, a mouth filled with putrid alcohol wafted it to the boy's nostrils, further driving him into an oxygen deprived fit. With limbs no longer struggling, all that was audible was the drops of foam exuding from the mouth. "…Didn't I specifically say…you had to fight for it!" with a twitch of the wrist, the boy was momentarily freed, but was sent crashing to the floor by a hand.

Through the coughing fit, the man leered towards the gasping child. "Such impudence, looks like I have to re-educate you. Here." A clang of metal against concrete as the child stared confused, afraid, and especially dread.

"You have only one chance now, do the honours and relief them of their suffering and you shall live! Or you could choose not to, and all of you can die here, right now!" brandishing several other weapons, each aimed towards the four other individuals shackled to the walls.

"So…Choose."

Shivering hands grasped onto the cold steel, unaware of the wound caused as he clenched his fist tightly by what was offered as his freedom. Only seven years of age, forced to decide the fate of himself and four other children as they were tortured as if they criminals of the greatest degree. Eyes stared into the first of many more, those **eyes** , tired and weary, void of life and hope.

"Do it…I don't want to suffer anymore." The first child stated nonchalantly, spoken as if it mattered little to him, his very own life became worthless. What had begun as a pledge of promised sleep created a mental subconscious within the wielder of death. With a swift plunge and slight gurgle of life fluid, the chained child fell limp against the wall, mouth twisted into a small smile.

Tears of regret and utter disgust dripped towards the floor, as the killer coughed and spewed out remains of food, mouth sealed shut with a snarl of pure anger. In a quick bout of events, he spun around and threw the weapon directly at the sole cause of their suffering. Yet, frightened eyes trailed towards the gleam that emitted from steel, currently aimed towards his neck.

"Hmm…the smell of fresh blood, finally, you smell better like this. You know, if you try to kill me one more time, I will make sure the rest of them suffer a fate worse than death, so make your choice." The voice gestured towards the remaining children, each impaled with a knife in their limbs. Each freely crying tears as their suffering was prolonged, eyes shifted towards the lone child forced to a decision.

 _ **And he made his choice.**_

 _The children that were killed._

 _They were friends. They were loved ones. Someone to call family._

 _And begun the cycle of much more to come._

"Friends? Family? Loved ones? All meaningless within these four walls, a lesson for you to learn. Allow yourself to be hindered by them, and you shall suffer hell's wrath." The horror inducing voice lingered in his head after that incident.

 _ **A simple decision of life and death.**_

 _Voice lost within the four walls. They scream. They echo. They haunt. They broke away the walls surrounding the beating rhythm, and with a final push, they shut down the melody of life and love._

 **XxX**

Through harsh breathing, the boy clenched his fist to steady his pulsing mind, eyes slit shut with forced exertion. "As I have mentioned such things will remain meaningless, that is a fact that will remain, and you will never escape for as long as I hold the key." He hissed through gritted teeth at the slowly fading smile, inevitably replaced with a snarl of pure sharpened white, slitted eyes crashed against the bars, denting them slightly but nonetheless caged.

" **I will return! And when the time comes, I will destroy the world alongside my master, I will personally torture you for all eternity for putting me in this insulting seal! Mark my words, the day where I return will mark the end of the world!"** the words became faint as the surroundings faded away, becoming a blank sheet of white.

"I suppose it's time I woke up, a certain goat seems to be waiting."

 **XxX**

Red eyes squinted in protest as sunlight beamed in its infuriating attempt of reminder that he had once sought it, an aspect of freedom in the outside world. Feeling the surprisingly comfortable sensation enveloping him, a first of his experiences, forcing him down with the spell of relaxation. While the bed in Mavis's house was comfortable in comparison to the cells hard, stale mattress, it paled in sheer material and quality that this bed provided.

Yet, his will won the battle, shifting slightly to sweep the blanket that felt as if it was bathed in the purest silk. Groaning from the immense stress his body seem to scream at, he shifted with visible strain against the pillow as he upright himself to address the pair of shaded eyes peering at him. Noting the strange being of similar biology as himself, possessing horns of a goat with pale skin, visible hoofs and a tail like his own, only of different species.

Outfitted in a pristine suit of black, somewhat befitting of a butler in the sense as he placed a hand across his chest in a show bout of respect. "It seems you have recovered, I am impressed by your regenerative properties, not many would have recovered as quick taking one of master's attacks. My name is Caprico, a member of the guild Grimoire Heart, our master has taken an interest in your abilities and would like to extend an invitation to the guild. Please dress yourself and head towards the amphitheatre once your decision has been made." Gesturing towards the clothes neatly piled in the chair, Caprico bowed and left swiftly.

"Not the strangest thing I've seen, I wonder how long I was out?" he pondered as his ears twitched at the sounds of boisterous yells accompanied by a stern voice occurring right outside the door, he could make out words like 'New guy' and 'recovering'. Obviously pertaining towards him, he decided to address his visitors so to speak, he was still unsure how to treat the situation at hand.

Sliding off the queen sized bed much too big for himself, he walked towards the door as he shifted against the new material of clothing, surprisingly comfortable as well, at least the place proved to be one of quality. Reaching for the door knob that was mockingly taller than he was, having to tip-toe as a result, he paused when he heard the sounds of grunts as the door clicked open.

Quickly sliding backwards to avoid the head bashing, he analysed the newcomers and what a sight they were. With an amusing sight of a three male teens sandwiched under the weight of much larger male with pale skin, each shouting atrocities at the larger person as he apologised profusely, yet making no attempt to move.

He stilled as he heard footsteps stepping past the boys and glanced towards the individual, a girl slightly older of moderate height, with pale black hair similar to his own yet shifting towards the shade of dark purple, yet another surprising feature as the both of them shared similar ruby eyes. She held a simple orb of emerald shade as she ambled past the group of still rowdy boys initiating themselves in a tussle of physical proportions.

Her eyes eyed him warily, noting every feature on his body as he studied her in return, adopting a kimono for her attire and simple headband to real her hair back. Abruptly, her hands shifted upwards and towards the boy, curiously the boy awaited the hand as she moved closer, he sensed no malicious intent, just simple curiosity but remained on guard still.

In a sudden turnabout of events, he felt a sudden form of pleasure emitting from the top of his scalp, a scratching sensation that led to several moments of comfort. Eyes closed against his will, he could feel his tail shifting about with gusto as he lost command of his motor control, what the hell was happening? For once in his life, with physical contact, he felt pleasure and comfort instead of pain and the usual stench of blood that accompanied it.

 _How intriguing._

Once again, losing this battle against whatever struggle he was facing, he simply could not overcome this hurdle. Her hands seem to know the right areas to scratch, where to apply the right pressure in order to bring out the best pleasure on his scalp, he could feel his throat rumble slightly as it grew louder in progression.

 ***Purr***

A sound akin to the rumble that emitted from those machines within the labs echoed through the room, halting the still ongoing tussle as all eyes trained towards the owner of the sound. Skilful hands ceased their magic, allowing the boy to finally regain control, stopping the tail lofting about against authority. Eyes narrowed in plain curiosity as he slipped his hands upward, only to feel two extra appendages atop his skull.

Two small triangle shape ears, fur coated and responsive to his brain signals. What had happened to his original ears? Parting the bangs surrounding his original ears, he frowned upon finding them missing. Were they replaced by the new animal ears, was the release of power the reason similarly as to how the tail appeared?

"Well I'll be damned, another animal guy! He's even got a tail, and he's already under Ultear's spell. Ultear, are you playing on making this guy your new pet? You have to ask master first, ya know?" the yellow haired man shrieked with a cackle reminiscent of a _doctor_ in the labs, the boy immediately placed him under one of the individuals he did not like. His damnable yell had also caused irritation in his new ears, it seems they were more sensitive than he thought.

"Hmm…I'll admit, he does look adorable. Do you have a name, young kit?" it seems she had figured out which family that he belonged to, the fox family had always named their children kits after all.

"I do not have a name, I was referred to as subject nine, call me nine if you wish." in that moment, he saw a shred of sympathy and personal rage appear within her eyes, it vanished in a blink as she smiled once more, slightly warmer as opposed to her former stoic expression.

"…I see, so how old are you, you seem barely into your teens?"

"I suppose ever since my entrapment, that it would be my ninth year. Who are you people?" the boy questioned in turn.

"I believe Caprico has mentioned earlier, you are currently in the airship belonging to Grimoire Heart, a guild. The five of us are members, and if you include Caprico, we're under the group called the Seven Kin of Purgatory." Ultear responded with a slight gleam in her eyes, eyeing the child before her much closer.

"You are awaiting another member then? I suppose that your master has decided for me to be one if capturing me was any indication." Ultear simply smiled faintly as she showcased nothing from the general response, another, however, had no qualms about speaking his mind.

"Hell yeah! You even managed to make Bluenote work for it, of course, master's gonna make you of us! Names Zancrow, resident god slayer of flames and soon to be consumer of gods, at your service!" Zancrow proclaimed excessively loud, arms lighting up with black flames as he introduced himself.

"While the loudmouth is not an example of a good introduction, let me refresh the moment. My name is Rustyrose, creator of imagination, seeker of the unknown and a refined sculptor of fine arts. I am thirteen years old, so as your senior, I welcome you to the group." Rustyrose extended a hand of welcoming gesture, receiving a hand in return, however eliciting a raised eyebrow as Rustyrose examined his hands after contact.

"My name is Azuma, it is a pleasure to meet you. I have seen the aftermath of your battle with Bluenote, what magic do you possess?" Azuma questioned with another hand extended outwards, but had exerted an above strength behind the shake. Nine had noticed the strength behind it and exerted it with equal proportion, not showing any form of strain as Azuma's faint smile shifted into a full blown grin.

"I have no magic." A simple answer for a simple response, but the reactions were another matter on its own.

"WHAT!?" Nine frowned once more as his ears twitched from the full blown sound, his ears were ringing already, and it would seem he had to adjust to the sound sensitivity.

"What do you mean you have no magic, how did you fight Bluenote?!" surprisingly it was Ultear who exerted the question with fervour highly unsettling upon her face.

"…I would rather not answer the question, simply note that it is a part of me and I will reveal it in time." Nine's respond did little to quell the onslaught of questions they had, but it was easily identified that it was sour topic at the least.

"I see, well the plump man in the corner there eating away is Kain Hikaru, just know that he likes to eat and girls." Azuma gestured towards Kain who was snacking on a piece of meat, chewing it without restraint as slobber dripped down his chin.

"C'mon, we'll take you to the master, don't want him to wait too long, lest he gets angry." Rustyrose suggested as Nine nodded, accepting the invitation as he led the group, aware of the eyes boring into him from each individual.

 _It would be a hassle to explain._

 **XxX**

From his observations, it appeared that the group he was travelling with were of high authority within this guild, the minions as Zancrow had referred to them refrained from initiating eye contact nor spoke a peep when they were in the vicinity. His sensitive ears had caught several conversations about himself, something about lost magic and seven kin.

Settling into pace as he walked alongside the group entering the hall, they shifted away and stood to the side, not with the henchmen standing at attention, rather they were conversing with Bluenote who had been confronted about their battle in his controlled state. Walking towards the throne as the elderly man that had appeared in the memory of their battle, he was now dressed in ceremonial robes, concealing his battle gear that still had stench of earthen soil.

"So we meet at last…I apologize for the rough treatment by my subordinate, you were easier to approach when you were sedated. My name is Master Hades, guild master of Grimoire Heart." The elderly man introduced himself, gesturing to the symbol etched onto the several banners hanging across the hall.

 _A spiky heart attached to a pair of devil horns. A play of words._

"My name is Subject Nine…or Nine…if you wish." Nine responded to the elderly name, his voice had hitched slightly when his instincts took over. Ever since his body became more animalistic, he had been capable of sensing malicious intent or possible threats.

The old man…no…monster before him, he was **dangerous**. The aura he exuded was malicious, highly reminiscent of the former famed doctor, yet there was something else…something pleasant so to speak. Something similar to what Mavis had felt like, warm, and filled with the desire to spring forwards.

"Hoh~, an experiment subject, how interesting. Tell me boy, do you possess take over magic?" Hades inquired, neither showcasing desire nor malice, just simple curiosity.

"No I do not, I possess no magic." And like a well, he could feel the emotions springing back and forth like a tug of war between the two sides of hall, henchmen were both confounded and entranced by the boy that fought on par with the commander, using no magic.

"I see…tell me boy, what is your desire in this bleak world of ours?" now showcasing a knowing smile, one of slight pain yet excitement.

"…I wish to fill the void in my body, and to understand." If his answers intrigued the master, he would never know.

"Understand what exactly?"

"Humans." An answer so chaotically simple, yet so vast for a simple child to question.

A simple chuckle, yet it shocked everyone to the core, neither having heard nor seen this side of their master. He was always serious, so deadly, and so uneasily approachable. Now in the face of what could be new member, he had laughed.

"You cheeky brat, you're hundred years too early to ask a question like that…but I admire your boldness. Everyone leave except for the seven kin, you are dismissed." He ordered as the minions shuffled out in an orderly fashion, leaving the requested group confronting their master.

"So boy, I've offering you a proposition here, you possess the potential and talents to enter into this group. This group was created to harvest our desires to search for the final piece of an infuriating puzzle, yet the reward is sweeter than anything. Many believe that magic just popped up out of mysterious outcomes or it was created by human emotions, but there is an entity that magic originates from, The One Magic." Hades began his lecture, drawing Nine in with his words, what was he trying to convey?

"Magic can perform miracles, it can save lives, destroy lives and even revert time. It is infinite and empty at the same time, it is the peak that we strive to reach. Each of us has our agenda, our purpose for seeking it, and thus we come to the conclusion. If I said, that the One Magic can fill the void, can allow you understanding far more than what the normal lifespan can achieve, would you reach for it?"

Everyone has dreams. Goals. Places to reach. Yet how many have actually succeeded? If even given a chance to reach it, to know that at the end of the road isn't fruitless effort, but genuine satisfaction of achieving, would we take it?

Words need not convey his thoughts. Hades nodded and procured a stamp with the Grimoire Heart symbol, inquiring the position that would best showcase what the guild stamp represented, to show his desire to reach his goal. He already had his answer before reaching the guild, before any thought that freedom was in actuality a fact instead of a distant dream.

Now the next step would be, what magic would he receive to aid in his quest?

 **XxX**

"I have conducted a variety of experiments and research revolving around the One Magic, and have found that Lost Magic, a form of magic lost through time that could potentially be considered either too powerful or dangerous for people to wield, has the closest connections." Hades announced as Nine followed behind, alongside the rest of the seven kin.

"I have made it a necessity for every child that possess the most potential to wield Lost Magic, some for their own benefit and purpose, while others are meant for connections. Within this sanctuary of knowledge that I have spent years gathering lies one Magic that you are most attune with, seek it out and report to me once you have acquired it." Hades ordered as he gestured to the large catacombs of books piled upon shelves after shelves, each containing magic far superior to the common elements.

"The rest of you are to assist him, while the magic will seek the wielder out, the reaction has to be two way, your desire and manifestation brought to life is the magic you seek. I will issue an example such as my own magic. I possess a variety of magic yet my main magic is something that I had not encountered in the beginning, I wield Chain Magic. It corresponds with my desire to chain and latch onto my goals, and also to restrain others under my command, it strengthens based on your feelings." Hades lectured as he demonstrated with the usage of a magic circle where two chains protruded outwards and restrained Kain.

"I have seen war after war during my lifetime travels, I have seen the cruelty of mankind and the growing evils, and through my experiences I have come to detest mankind. I wish to build the ideal world where such suffering ends, and humans who wield magic will be judged by the sole entity that governs that world, to thrive in peace and happiness." Hades commented as he adopted a far off look of longing.

"People may refer me to a disillusioned old man who spouts nonsense, but it is they who have not open their eyes to the world. I'm sure you've already seen as to why I grow to detest those that don't wield magic, such people lack the understanding of the miracle of magic. Happiness can only be attained through the sacrifice of others, it has always been such and shall never change, unless we make the effort." He concluded his point as he ambled past the group who have become entrapped by the conviction and sole desire present in those eyes.

"Yeesh, the old man has gone on one of his lectures again, but anyway what he said is correct, the magic you will wield is based on what you truly desire. Take me for example, I was an orphan, I was utter garbage, a stain on the sidewalk that no one would pay attention to. I was beaten and brutalised day after day as I prayed to god after I heard that gods could provide miracles and help those in need. Yet I received nothing, no help, and no miracles when I've done nothing wrong. I grew to detest gods and strive to learn the one magic that could harm them, to kill them as they had allowed millions every day to die when they wield the power to help." Zancrow sounded surprisingly tame as he recounted his own experiences, his constant smile faded a little and his eyes dimmed.

"It's true, I too have my acknowledgement that my experiences contributed to what I learned. In this world, I was a mere boy looking for recognition, to aim for the big leagues wielding my creative arts, yet I was shunned, humiliated as I saw inferior works garner the support of millions. It was then I realised that corruption was apparent as money bought recognition, so I sought to prove the world wrong. I endeavoured to create my own world with my imagination, to allow the world to see my work, my efforts." Rustyrose remarked as Nine shifted towards a shelf, brandishing a book that held Rubber Magic, only to immediately be flicked away.

"While I don't have my own sob story like these two, I can confirm the fact. In this world where trees are as abundant as humans, I desire to be the biggest of them all, to fight my way to the top, to see the heights and limits my body could take me. It was apparent to me when I was young that life was short and could be ended by superiors, so I want to use my life effectively and I will gladly sacrifice it to enjoy a worthy battle that shows my limits." Azuma commented as he laid across a couch made of wood, somehow appearing in the room.

"I'm not smart. I'm not handsome like other people. People see me as a stupid and ugly person when I try to make friends, they don't understand. I want friends. I want a girlfriend. I want to be smart so that I can make friends." Kain slurred out through the massive quantity of food stuffed in his cheeks.

"My apologies, my story is not one that I would wish to share, however I can confirm what Master Hades has said, my magic is not one that is remarkable to mention but it corresponds with my desires." Caprico uttered as he eyed Nine once more throwing a book labelled Lava Magic.

"I have no qualms about ending lives, I merely see them as pawns for my goal, yet it is not to say that I am cold-hearted. My magic is Arc of Time, granting me the ability to alter time to various items, with my end goal to revert time itself to a…more appropriate time period that I desire. While I have taken lives to reach my goal, reverting time will allow those lives to be restored as well, thus negating my crimes. It's the end result that counts for me, think about your goal when you decide the magic." Ultear advised as she played with her orb, sending it flying about in set patterns.

Reasserting their advice while scheming through the entire section of books, nothing seems to appeal to Nine, nothing noteworthy enough that it called out to him. Perhaps he was not entitled to Lost Magic? What happens then?

"Not really, each of us are attuned to a certain form of magic, like my magic for example, Great Tree Arc falls under the category of green magic, meaning I could learn tree magic as well. It depends on the type and categorization, there will surely be a magic type that responds to you here." After listening to the advice, Nine had encountered a peculiar form of magic, nothing noteworthy or extraordinary on the surface yet there was a certain lure to it.

Keeping the magic in his bag provided, Nine had requested to return to the surface, to return to observing individuals as he solve the puzzle. It was granted but at the cost of strict surveillance from the ship and at the sign of potential danger to both him and the ship, he would be teleported back.

His next destination was Kuraiame town, the town of Dark rain.

 **XxX**

It was as the name implied, his first impression of the town was that the rain that seem to pour endlessly was magic based, produced by an individual that was likely leaking magic and influencing the weather. The town was surprisingly none too surprised by his extra appendages, it even incurred several older females to coo about how adorable he was.

When questioned, their reply was logical, "We've had magic users visiting our town frequently so your animal features aren't too surprising, why I've even seen some man walk around with the ground and everything around him suddenly breaking apart. He had apologised for it though, he seemed nice enough, if a little flirty."

However when he inquired further about the weather, their tone and mood shifted, "We were once a cheerful and sunny town, till that rain girl came over here and ruined the weather for us, we've tried talking to her before but all she did was make the weather worse. Driving her out doesn't do anything as the rain gets too heavy when we try to negotiate, so we just live with it. Here's an umbrella for your troubles."

The truth was only half-baked, there was an underlining of animosity when the topic of this rain girl came up, and likely she failed to mention possible mistreatment of the girl. Utilising his emotional sensing abilities, he trailed the path that led to biggest source of loneliness, sorrow and guilt. His travels took him to the far end of the town, where a lowly hut was situated, it was completely run down with the paint peeling off.

Confirmation of possible mistreatment was sound when words of hostile messages were painted on the walls, some dictating her to be a pest, while others were simply messages for her to leave. Shifting his glance, he eyed the lone individual of his age standing across a group of four teenagers, each holding onto an umbrella.

Dressed in a blue dress that was spotted, her navy blue cap highlighted her equally blue locks of hair, however it contrasted the pale expression that was spread across her features. She had heavy eye bags and from the distance could make out several streaks of dried up tears, her mouth was dry and chiselled as she spoke.

"Juvia just wants to play with you, please? I promise I won't do anything to harm you, Juvia just wants to become friends with you!" she pleaded but received nothing but sneers in return for her effort.

"Who would want to become friends with you? You only caused the rain, you make everyone miserable, it's your fault we're always sick! Just get lost!" each word weighed heavily upon her soul, crushing her spirit with each harsh insult. The group of kids even went as far as to crowd around her, destroy her umbrella as they stomped upon it, finding pleasure in her horrified expression.

As they left, she sobbed and cried, clutching onto the remains of her umbrella, scraping up the remains as she fled towards her home. Trailing behind apprehensively so as to not startle his target of interest, he peeped through the window. Juvia as she called herself was kneeled in the centre of a rundown room, slowly prodding her umbrella of blue shade as she snuggled tearfully into a doll.

Her tear ducts had kept their flow as her visibly draining health was made apparent by the bouts of cough and sneezes that escaped her body in the period of time, it was only when her body stumbled slightly that she collapsed against her bedside. Her breath harsh and haggled, she struggled to upright herself but her body caved in and forced her to slowly crawl towards her bed, even then it was a challenge itself.

Juvia however paused when she felt a pair of hands latched onto her back and legs, effectively lifting her up gently and laying her upon the bed. She snuck a glance through her barely liftable eyelids, yet only caught a glimpse of black as her eyelids fell shut once more feeling the blanket drape over herself. She so desperately wanted to see the person attending to her, was he a friend? She wanted to know.

 _Then he spoke._

"Why do you allow them to insult you? This rain is your magic, you can control it, you have the power to wipe them out for their mistreatment, why don't you? You allow yourself to be discriminated, it affects your magic, it is slowly killing you." he questioned, intrigued by the show earlier.

"Juvia's magic makes people sick, I don't like my magic, and I want to make friends. I don't want power, I just want someone to talk to." She replied breathlessly as she struggled to maintain her struggle against the pain.

"You are sick, at this rate, you will gradually die, alone." While rude and completely unneeded, it was the truth, playing around the bush would merely prolong her suffering.

"Juvia doesn't want to die, she wants to find her family, to find her true love. I want to find them!" her eyes opened with fervour conveying her message with the brightest of sparks, illuminating them with such intensity that it reminded him of one such individual whom had the same spark of fire within them.

 _Why?_

Why is it that on her deathbed, where she was at her weakest, that she produced the largest flames of determination? _He_ too was like that, a dear friend long gone. As he bled to his imminent death, he strived, struggled with ferocity unbefitting one that had been confined in that hell, but he had perished before the flames could ignite any further.

 _Was she too like that?_

Were he to allow the flames to be snuffed out, to deny her determination and resolve even when the world rejected her, would it be doing her a justice? He had once questioned, the reasoning behind _his_ blatant lack of self-preserving to survive or at the very least care for himself, yet the answer had confounded him.

" _My life in comparison pales to others, I know my limits, yet I refused to submit! When others have fallen, I will strive, I will clear the path for our freedom! When the world rejects us, abandon us, I will strike back, I will create a revolution! So, will you join me?" a hand extended in comradeship._

Back then, freedom didn't seem like a farfetched dream, it seemed possible, with _him_ by their side, they would have created a wave upon the world. Yet, humankind had once again sought to prove them wrong, their pipedream vanished in an explosion of death and deceit. Thus, the flames were extinguished along with their hopes.

However, were he to save the girl, would her fiery spirit change the world? Would she reach her dream? Would it be extinguished similarly to how their own dream faded? So many paths, so little time in the human lifespan, yet the results were possibly endless.

 _How intriguing._

As she spluttered and coughed to her dying breath, he made a decision. A decision that could affect the world. His desire to understand the species known as humans, rejuvenated by a simple soul. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out a familiar book, chocked full of dust on every page. Its age was apparent, yet the quality of the pages was still in pristine condition, obviously from the works of magic.

As he studied and experimented within the confinements alongside the slowly fading girl, he cast the spell of potentially devastating proportions, yet the yield was positively rewarding for the girl. Within the dome he created, he cast the spell that would change her life forever. Fully aware of the new state his magic reserves seem to possess, the child examined the changes within his body, feeling the new improvements that the magic bestowed.

 _It felt refreshing. It felt overpowering. It was truly worthy to be called Miracle._

He witnessed her skin regaining colour, her features practically shone with gusto, she was completely rejuvenated to pristine health as she fell into a deep slumber of tranquillity. One she had not receive in a while as her sleeping smile was positively radiant, she looked peaceful. Wrapping his tail around her waist to warm her temperature as stated by the book, she snuggled deeper into the fur.

"Caprico, I require your assistance." He called, and his call was answered.

"I have attain a magic, as stated by this book, a Lost Magic. This girl had assisted me in my quest, I wish to assist her in return. Will I be able to provide expenses for her?" Caprico seem positively speechless as he read the text plastered onto the book, examining his ward with a critical eye before brandishing a large bag of jewellery as was the currency.

"Master Hades will be most pleased, that magic has not been wielded in over several centuries." Caprico praised as he set aside the bag by Juvia's bed, while his ward wrote a quick note on her bedside.

"Tell him this, I will not become one of the seven kin, I believe I have a better role that I can fill."

"I believe so as well."

In a quick flash, both of the unknown occupants vanished without a trace, leaving only a simple note of personal advice and gratitude alongside her reward. If they had stay just a tad longer, they would have heard the largest squeal of surprise possibly produced.

Master Hades had approved despite his knowing dislike of the absence of yet another member to fill the gap, however, he was positively rapturous about the magic he now wielded. Citing its potential as limitless, a most worthy magic to wield.

 **XxX**

 **Nine had simply stated as such when he was questioned the reasoning behind his magic choice:**

 _I have seen both good and bad. Primarily the bad. Good was simple to understand. Too many rules._

 _Good man have too many rules. I live my life as how I wish. Unhindered by rules. Live by thought._

 _I am treading on the fine line of the two. The center of balance of both sides. Good and evil._

 _I give in to neither. I observe. I understand. I judge based on my beliefs._

 _I become the Twilight. Disgusted by death. Willing to kill._

 _I am a healer._

* * *

 **A/N: For my reasoning as to why my MC seems much more mature in comparison to others his age, I want you to understand that he was tortured, broken down, and mentally and physically tattered. And his knowledge, why is he so much more knowledgeable about things?**

 **The clue is in chapter two. Regarding the conversation between the inner being and my MC.**


End file.
